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The Propagandists' Playbook

How Conservative Elites Manipulate Search and Threaten Democracy
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( 49 ratings, 5 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
The Propagandists' Playbook unpacks the strategies behind right-wing media manipulation, focusing on two Republican groups during the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race. Francesca Bolla Tripodi uses interviews and ethnographic observation, including her experience at the 2017 Unite the Right rally, to reveal how digital tools like Google algorithms and YouTube playlists spread extremist ideas by blending fact and fiction. The book highlights how conservative Christian worldviews influence media interpretation, with adherents using Bible study methods and online fact-checking that often reinforce radical content and reshape media narratives.
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Format: Hardback
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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?

This book is ideal for readers interested in politics, media studies, and contemporary issues around disinformation, radicalisation, and conservative movements. It suits academics, journalists, policy makers, and anyone seeking to understand the influence of right-wing media and technology on public discourse.

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An examination of what algorithmic polarization means for society and how conservative elites use media literacy tactics to spread propaganda

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

The Propagandists’ Playbook peels back the layers of the right-wing media manipulation machine to reveal why its strategies are pervasive, while humanising the people whose worldviews and media practices conservatism embodies.

Based on interviews and ethnographic observations of two Republican groups over the course of the 2017 Virginia gubernatorial race—including the author’s firsthand experience of the 2017 Unite the Right rally—the book considers how Google algorithms, YouTube playlists, pundits, and politicians can manipulate search, reaffirm beliefs, and expose audiences to extremist ideas, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Tripodi argues that conservatives who embody the Christian worldview give authoritative weight to original texts and interrogate the media using the same tools taught to them in Bible study—for example, using Google to “fact check” the news. The result of this practice, tied to conservative marketing tactics, is a radicalisation of content and a changing of narratives adopted by the media.

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?

The Propagandists' Playbook has been praised by Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, for illuminating how radicalisation operates against democracy and offering hope for de-radicalisation. Danah boyd, author of It's Complicated, commends the book for its empathetic and insightful exploration of the intersection between religion, conservatism, hate groups, and technology, calling it essential reading for those concerned about social media and disinformation. The meticulous research exposes the dangers of conservative media manipulation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300248944

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 11 October 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 2 b-w illus.

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Francesca Bolla Tripodi is an assistant professor at the School of Information and Library Science at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a a research affiliate at the Data & Society Research Institute.

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