Posverdad: La desinformación y el coste de las Fake News

A very deep inside, how people work (for Trump/Republicans) to interrupt or stop investigations for break the laws. You people should be educated how social media works and what that means for them. If the US is a democracy, then this will be shown in every school.

Well made documentary. The look in some of the victims eyes shows how incredible and frustrating it must be to be a target of the fake news culture. The saddest thing is knowing our current president has utilized this counter culture for political gain.

"After Truth - Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News" (2020 release; 94 min.) is a documentary about the recent (as in: last 5-6 years) phenomenon by (mostly) right-wing conspiracy theorists to purposefully spew falsehoods onto social media. As the film opens, we get to know Jack Burkman, right wing consultant who looks at the use of "fake news" as nothing more than one would look at the use of chemical weapons in time of war: "it's there to use, it doesn't mean I like it". We then go to "2015, Bastrop, Texas" as Washington Post journalist Elizabeth Williamson talks about how local conspiracy nuts create a media frenzy claiming that US military exercises are just a front for imposing martial law and rounding up political opponents... At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from veteran documentary-director Andrew Rossi. Here he examines the rise of "disinformation" (translation: falsehoods) being launched onto social media and what it does to society, The documentary focuses on several specific incidents: Bastrop, TX (2015), "pizzagate" (2016), Seth Rich's death (2016), and the smearing of Robert Mueller (2018). All of it is sure to make your blood boil in disgust, if not anger, as we watch how (mostly) right wingers cynically use and abuse facts to twist a "new" or "alternative" or outright false truth that suits them politically. The great thing about this documentary is that it isn't a one-way street, but instead it lets both sides of the story give their view/version, and the viewer can deduce his or her own conclusion. Along the way, Rossi and his team also examine how technology platforms like Facebook and Twitter enable these manipulations while standing by. And then this dilemma: should the left join the frenzy and spew their own falsehoods? As someone laments: "Do you win by playing their game?" "Two wrongs don't make it right", offers Alabama Senator Doug Jones.

"After Truth" premiered on HBO in late March, and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. If you have any interest in politics, or simply in understanding how falsehoods come about and influence society, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion. I myself found it to be must-see TV.

It's very disappointing and disturbing that people make up stories they know to be false and publish them without any thought to the consequences.

If you are a Liberal or a fan of CNN this is the mockumentary for you. It is obviously biased opinions since it is CNN and Democrats making up whatever they can to try to win back presidential power. HBO has joined the ranks of leftist propaganda. I will be cancelling my subscription.