Democracy's Pillars Crumble: The Rise of Simulated Discourse
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Resources & Recommendations
Books
- "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media" by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman - Elliot Higgins read this book, among others by Chomsky, which influenced his political journey.
- Works by Seymour Hersh - Elliot Higgins read many of Hersh's works, which influenced his political journey.
Organizations & Institutions
- Bellingcat - An investigative journalism organization founded by Elliot Higgins that uses publicly available data to produce journalistic investigations, and also teaches people how to do open source investigations.
- The Atlantic Council - A US Washington-based think tank where Elliot Higgins worked from 2015 to 2017, focusing on issues around disinformation and Russia's activities.
People Mentioned
- Renee DiResta (Researcher) - Mentioned for her concept of "bespoke realities" which describes the individualized information environments people experience online.
- Hank Green (Popular YouTuber) - Mentioned as a previous guest on the podcast who discussed trust and the shift from a gatekeeping model to a platform-based model of information.
- Nigel Farage - Mentioned in the context of the Reform UK party in the UK.
- RFK Jr. - Mentioned as representing the "alternative health counter public" within the MAGA movement.
- Tulsi Gabbard - Mentioned as representing the "anti-NATO, chemical weapon denialist community" within the MAGA movement.
- Kash Patel - Mentioned as representing the "Pizzagate type" within the MAGA movement.
Websites & Online Resources
- Jubilee Videos - A type of online video format discussed as an example of "hollow performance of democracy" designed to capture algorithmic attention rather than facilitate genuine understanding.
- Something Awful Forums - An old internet comedy forum mentioned as a place where Elliot Higgins was an early user and where a lot of meme culture and early internet discussions originated.
- The Guardian Live Middle Live Blog Comments - Where Elliot Higgins engaged in early online arguments that led to his investigative work.
- Blue Sky - A social network where Elliot Higgins is active, illustrating his continued engagement with attention-driven online platforms.
- Bellingcat Discord Server - A community space with about 35,000 members where investigations are discussed, and people learn and collaborate on open-source investigations.