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Facts and Other Lies

Welcome to the Disinformation Age
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( 226 ratings, 44 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Facts and Other Lies by Ed Coper delves into the alarming impact of misinformation and the manipulation of truth in media and politics. It explores how false narratives shape public opinion, influence elections, and challenge democratic systems. Through analysis and real-world examples, the book examines the consequences of this growing phenomenon on society and the way it undermines our understanding of facts.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the intricacies of misinformation in today's digital world. It delves into the impact of fake news and propaganda on society and offers insight into the challenges and solutions for navigating a landscape where facts are often blurred with fiction.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From fringe conspiracy theories to 'alternative facts', a timely look at how we arrived in the 'fake news' era.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Would your younger self believe the news of today? An entire city block blown up by a suicide bomber on Christmas Day because he believed phone towers spread disease. A Representative elected to the US Congress on a platform that Democrats are secretly harvesting an anti-aging chemical from the blood of abused children. Angry rioters in furs and horns overrun the Capitol in a bloody carnage of insurrection. The Prime Minister of Australia employing the wife of his friend who fronts a group the FBI has declared terrorists. A global pandemic which, even as they lie dying from it, people refuse to believe exists.

Many who sat in shocked disbelief as these events beamed around the world asked the same question: 'How did we get here?' For those rioters, it was the culmination of a journey of online radicalisation that began with the weaponisation of disinformation by their political leaders and outrageously biased 'news' commentators.

Facts and Other Lies puts fake news in its historical context and explains how disinformation has fractured society, even threatening democracy itself. It explains why disinformation is so potent and so hard to stop, and what we can do to help prevent its proliferation in Australia—where politicians and shock jocks are already operating from the same dark playbook. It outlines how anyone can defuse disinformation in the home, office or pub, or wherever the deluded gather to spread their nonsense. Be prepared!

This is a timely account of a growing malignancy affecting all modern democracies
Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia

Ed Coper keenly explains how lying has been normalised in right wing media—both social and mainstream. The Trump-inspired attack on the US Capitol on 6 January is just one consequence. Coper deftly shows us what is to be done and offers some real solutions to restore trust in public discourse.
Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia

Fascinating and terrifying . . . illuminates so much about humans and social media
Bri Lee, author of Who Gets to Be Smart

Read this book if you want to save democracy
Wayne Swan, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia

Few have mapped our information dystopia more effectively—and entertainingly—than Coper
Bernard Keane, Politics Editor, Crikey

Essential reading for anyone wanting to cut through the nonsense and get to the truth
Eason Jordan, former Chief News Executive, CNN

We live in a world that unfolds at a pace, and with the violent twists and turns in the plot, of a thriller. This book captures the intensity of our politics and connects it to the science of misinformation . . . a great read
Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair in Cognitive Psychology, University of Bristol

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Ed Coper's Facts and Other Lies examines how misinformation has gained traction, particularly in right-wing media. It highlights the alarming effects of such narratives, including events like the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January. Coper not only identifies these issues but also suggests actionable solutions to rebuild trust in public dialogue.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761065705

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Allen & Unwin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 235.0mm

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 30.0mm

Weight: 490g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Ed Coper is a leading communications expert and was on the front lines when the internet collided with democracy, growing Australia's first online political movement GetUp to quickly amass more members than every political party combined. He powered Change.org's global expansion into over eighteen countries and pioneered techniques to bring politics into the digital age, and has been behind the scenes of many of the last decade's most prominent social movements. He has advised campaigns on every continent except Antarctica, and high-profile changemakers from Malala to Richard Branson. Ed founded the New York-based Center for Impact Communications, which has led efforts to safeguard US elections from disinformation and overcome vaccine hesitancy. Ed also founded a New York City creative agency that serviced multiple Nobel Peace laureates, political and social leaders to scale their social impact. His groundbreaking campaigns have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for causes, won landmark social change and have featured in several museum exhibitions. Ed is based in Sydney and is director of the Populares communications agency.

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