One of the most disgusting forms of propaganda is the ideological/cultural glorification and legitimization/rationalization of policing, often referred to as copaganda. This is something that E. P. Thompson already noted more than fourty years ago (and doubtless, many poor and oppressed people decades before that): Without using the term copaganda, historian E.P. Thompson in the […]
Author: alraven
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. III: Imperialist, Militarist and Genocidal/Settler Propaganda
Indeed, the anti-trans and anti-homeless propaganda cited above can and should be defined as a form of genocidal discourse, namely “a widely used and accepted language of negation, destruction and erasure targeted at a particular group or groups” (Townsend 2014 : 9). Trans and homeless people are not merely depicted pejoratively, their very existence is […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. III: Dehumanizations, Reactionary Panics and Right Wing Propaganda
Structures of violence and oppression – as well as specific sociopolitical outbursts or projects that stand out in the scale and intensity of their brutality (from lynchings and pogroms to full systems of apartheid and/or genocide) – rely on the systematic dehumanization of certain groups (usually marginalized, but not necessarily). This process of ideological and […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. III: Capitalist Propaganda & Bourgeois Ideology
One of the least recognized/discussed yet most blatant forms of propaganda is capitalist or bourgeois propaganda. There are two dimensions: what we might call economic propaganda – as a direct part of the capitalist production/”consumption” process – on the one hand, and the broader ideological-cultural hegemony of capital, on the other hand. The latter is […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. III: State, Media and Nationalism
States – and their respective regimes/govts – obviously use and rely on both domestic/internal and transnational/external propaganda. A lot of their actions can be simply defined/explained through a so-called “realist” viewpoint on both levels: in a word, it’s about defending and reinforcing one state/country and/or regime’s own power, interests and resources, “sphere of influence”, reputation/image, […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. III: Outline
This section is (slightly^^) less theoretical and more straigthforward, because it’s an overview of some of the primary actors of modern propaganda and their concrete ideological and strategical intentions. While the theoretical (e.g. causal) relationship(s) between the structural or collective level of systemic ideology/dehumanizations/culture, and individuals’ specific ideological developments and politicizations, is very complex and […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. II: Research/Concepts
Understanding Contemporary Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda Some authors who completed meta-analyses (Abu Arqoub et al. 2020, Li and Tang 2012, Zheng et al. 2016, Wasike 2017) have criticized the fact that most of the research on disinformation (and “fake news”) and in media and communication studies is atheoretical. It’s therefore necessary to use some […]
Notes on Media Ecology, Disinformation & Propaganda, Pt. I: How Not to Study Propaganda
Without pretending that disinformation and propaganda were in any sense less dangerous, destructive or widespread in the past, pre-Internet era, their sheer proliferation in the 21st century has been rather overwhelming. Among other things, we’ve seen genocides in Myanmar and Tigray being celebrated and intensified through social media, far right murder plots organized through forums, […]
Resources for Organising and Revolts
This is an ongoing list of resources, tools, guides, links, etc. for liberatory and radical/revolutionary praxis/movements. Libcom: Community Organising: “Information, guides and tips on organising around issues which affect you and other people living in your local area.” Including (original links): Don’t Pay campaign (UK): How to run a community stall Haringey Anti-Raids: How To Set Up […]
List of Critical Readings
Here’s an ongoing list of critical/radical readings that have influenced me and that I want to keep as important references/resources! Some of those are also ones that I plan to read but I already know are crucial. Chuǎng: China FAQ Issue #1 (2016), esp. Sorghum & Steel: The Socialist Developmental Regime and the Forging of […]