Dissent, truthiness, and skepticism in the global media landscape: Twenty-first century propaganda in times of war

After the terrorist attacks in September 2001, an event that came to be known as 9/11, the United States under President George W. Bush embarked on an unprecedented propaganda campaign. Increased access to the Internet led to the proliferation of online forums and blogs that have given rise to a new media landscape, one in which propaganda, skepticism, truthiness, and dissent are the order of the day. This new mediascape provided a means to organize global mass protests against the war in Iraq. A form of dissent that dramatically increased in popularity during the decade is satire, and specifically “fake news” such as the Colbert Report and The Daily Show, that view news media as propaganda. This chapter explores U.S. propaganda in the twenty-first century and the role of social media in activism, political change, and/or revolution. It discusses the use of the Internet in political mobilization and protest movements through blogs, and viral videos. It also looks at citizen journalism and its implications for freedom of speech.