this post was submitted on 15 Mar 2025
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Fediverse vs Disinformation

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Pointing out, debunking, and spreading awareness about state- and company-sponsored astroturfing on Lemmy and elsewhere. This includes social media manipulation, propaganda, and disinformation campaigns, among others.

Propaganda and disinformation are a big problem on the internet, and the Fediverse is no exception.

What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation? The inadvertent spread of false information is misinformation. Disinformation is the intentional spread of falsehoods.

By equipping yourself with knowledge of current disinformation campaigns by state actors, corporations and their cheerleaders, you will be better able to identify, report and (hopefully) remove content matching known disinformation campaigns.


Community rules

Same as instance rules, plus:

  1. No disinformation
  2. Posts must be relevant to the topic of astroturfing, propaganda and/or disinformation

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The right dominates the online media ecosystem, seeping into sports, comedy, and other supposedly nonpolitical spaces

A new Media Matters analysis found 9 out of the 10 top online shows assessed are right-leaning

As Americans increasingly get their news from online shows and streamers, the influence of this media ecosystem becomes more prominent — and Media Matters has found that the most popular of this content is overwhelmingly right-leaning.

In a new study, Media Matters assessed the audience size of popular online shows — podcasts, streams, and other long-form audio and video content regularly posted online. To do so, we gathered data on the number of followers, subscribers, and views across streaming platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Rumble, Twitch, and Kick) and social media platforms that are used to amplify and promote these shows (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok). Apple Podcasts does not publicly provide follower counts on its platform, so it was not included in the audience data.

This analysis was based on 320 online shows with a right-leaning or left-leaning ideological bent. We found that right-leaning online shows dominate the ecosystem, with substantially larger audiences on both politics/news shows and supposedly nonpolitical shows that we determined often platformed ideological content or guests.

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[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Not really, left leaning people always have the same problem: something that could reasonably called a set of morals (other than might makes right).

Your examples are toxic masculinity, diet grifters, and metaphysical grifters. It's hard to square a sense of right and wrong with grifting.

I think you might be able to make inroads with women's sports but...you need already toxic men to care.

You could make a diet show that does actual medicine, but the advice would be eat less, especially less meat and less alcohol. Eat green stuff instead. Go outside every day. Can't make a long lasting show on this because it's stable advice...this is why you need a grifter to make the show last, the content just doesn't support the show.

Not gonna bother with metaphysical grifting, we get it.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Part of the problem is that telling the truth doesn't really sell an identity. If you subscribe to some niche pseudoscience, then it can be your "thing" and you can form a bond with others who are into the same niche thing. Selling lies also allows you to craft the narrative to appeal to particular demographics and target audiences. Part of how the human brain functions is that doing insane things together with other people (ritualism) helps form a bond - the insanity is part of the design, to distinguish the in-group from the out-group. There's also the problem that grifting makes money, and money lets you boost your signal and reach more people.

[–] Lyrl@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago

I have gotten a lot of social connections and philosophy learning through my congregation, consumed a variety of exercise safety and effectiveness tips, enjoyed discovering recipes that fit with my lifestyle and dietary preferences (many of which contribute healthy variety to my food intake), and get positive feelings finding spaces that share experiences and tips around specific health conditions I have. It's sad to see all of those experiences cast as me being a victim of grifting.