Lies destroy. Disinformation tears at the fabric of democracy.
A Firehose of Falsehood breaks down disinformation tactics and offers tools for defending and restoring truth.
From Darius I of ancient Persia (522-486 BCE), to blood libel of the Middle Ages, to Soviet disinformation tactics and modern election deniers, Teri Kanefield and Pat Dorian show how tyrants and would-be tyrants deploy disinformation to gain power.
Democracy, which draws its authority from laws instead of the whim of a tyrant, requires truth. For a democracy to survive, its citizens must preserve and defend truth. Now that the Internet has turned what was once a trickle of lies into a firehose, the challenge of holding on to truth has never been greater. Firehose of Falsehood offers readers these necessary tools.
Praise for Firehose of Falsehood
A Firehood of Falsehood breaks down the mechanisms of the attack on democracy into its component parts with fierce clarity and narrative power. A Firehood of Falsehood is so lucidly written and analytically acute, that it will be treasured by readers from young adults to scholars in the field.
―Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy, Yale University
A Firehose of Falsehood is an excellent primer on the history of “the big lie.” This wonderfully told, alluringly illustrated “story of disinformation” is a most relevant overview of the often sinister art of sowing alternative facts.
―Hans Wiersma, Professor, Augsburg University, Minneapolis, Minnesota
“A Firehose of Falsehood is an important, must-read book for anyone who values democracy, free will, and the consent of the governed. It’s a highly engaging graphic world tour through the history and practices of propaganda that pulls back the curtain to show how authoritarians have used anti-democratic communication strategies to prop themselves up as “strongmen,” in order to gain and retain power. Highly recommend!”
―Jennifer Mercieca, Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, Texas A&M University