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.


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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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[–] BlackSheep@lemmy.ca 9 points 14 hours ago

Oligarchs are buying up and controlling all media. When they control the media, they not only control the news, they can literally manufacture the news.

[–] surph_ninja@lemmy.world 11 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (2 children)
  1. Leftists face much more pushback to be deplatformed than rightwingers.
  2. Leftists and corporate sponsors don’t mix, since leftists threaten capital, so paying for the program’s cost is an issue.
[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 4 hours ago

since leftists threaten capital, so paying for the program’s cost is an issue.

Just a friendly reminder to support your favorite leftist content producers with donations if you can afford to. There are a couple outlets that I really appreciate, and I have a small recurring monthly donation to them. I know it's not much, but every little bit helps.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago
  1. Cough-cough, folder leak, cough-cough, "on the left there are no bad tactics only bad targets". Also "I'm an overtly political Linux/open source YouTuber, but I shame anyone for politics if they're even a bit left of Margaret Thatcher, and both exxaggerate supposed DEI overreaches and overreport them for weeks". Also also "Keep your politics out of gaming, but I welcome mine".
  2. The very moment they mix you get post-2024 TYT, or similar brainrot.
[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 10 points 20 hours ago

You might also call it "cultural hegemony".

[–] match@pawb.social 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

this is an interesting problem: let's say that there's 50 right leaning viewers and 50 left leaning viewers. let's also say that the 50 left leaning viewers are spoiled for choice and get 50 different YouTubers they're into, while the to right leaning viewers don't get as many quality options and settle on 5 YouTubers. each of the 5 YouTubers that appeals to the right now dominate the rankings specifically because the field is weak

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 4 hours ago

I don't think that's what's happening though? Your example implies that there are 10x more content creators on the left than on the right and that's just not true.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago

It's not really a problem. Authoritarians need a few daddy figures while leftists prefer a variety of opinions.

[–] Lyrl@lemm.ee 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The "society and culture" and "comedy" topics are only slightly right-skewed, which seems representative of the US voting behavior with Republicans winning more elections but not by much.

The non-political topics with political sprinkles are interesting, and where the right overwhelms the left. People don't listen to these shows because of the politics - they are there for the sports talk, or the discussion on getting and staying healthy, or for some inspiration and spiritual reflection - but the political sprinkles aren't enough to drive them away. Does anyone see a path to a left-leaning host attracting significant audiences for mainly sports or wellness or spirituality, with occasional progressive sprinkles?

[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours 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 1 day 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.

[–] sunglocto@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Asmongold

Never seen a person say that they're a centrist like 50 times, then go on to exclusively feature republicans, right wing channels, elon twitter simps, gamergate and just other clearly biased personalities. Wish he'd be more honest and say that he's clearly aligned with the right

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 day ago

LOL that always seems to be the way centrist roll.

They're conservatives but don't like the stink of conservative politics.

[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 5 points 1 day ago

I thought we all agreed ages ago "centrist" means frothing at the mouth racist who insists on the free market above all aka a 90s republican.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 76 points 1 day ago (3 children)

people who prefer to form their own opinions instead of having it spoonfed to them tend to not idolize the flapping faceholes on tv the way republican incels do

[–] Zess@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Glad other people see it so obviously. They claim to be independent thinkers immune to brainwashing but all they do is listen to and repeat any drivel they already agree with. And if you bring their "alpha male" rhetoric into it it's even funnier because they're nothing but sheep who drool over any man who seems powerful. They are the opposite of everything they claim to be.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

we also tend to cite our sources rather than say "do your own research"

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 11 points 1 day ago

What they mean: "Look up an article supporting your position on the web."

What it should mean: "Test your hypothesis and get your findings peer reviewed and replicated."

[–] jimmy90@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

we need laws globally to force all news organization to print corrections of equal scale for iterms that are proved to be incorrect

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We all want accountability and authenticity, but if you are going to suggest something like that, you at least have to consider the mechanism needed, and how difficult it would be to get it right.

[–] jimmy90@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

true, let's give it a go anyway as the media is completely out of control in the name of free speech which is bullshit

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 hours ago

Where would you put enforcement and review for such rules?

[–] casmael@lemm.ee 24 points 1 day ago

I fucking hate Joe rogan, man

[–] termaxima@jlai.lu 39 points 1 day ago (5 children)

The main reason I don’t follow much left-leaning content online is because a lot of it is utterly depressing.

I’m sure there is a way to change the presentation of things to stop fueling doomerism without needing to outright sweep bad things under the rug.

Put more focus on the solutions than the issues, for a start. When covering the opposition, always do so by rightfully making fun of them as the clowns they indeed are. Picturing them as competent in any way indirectly gives them more power.

I personally don’t want another source of sadness and anger in my life, but I do want to be connected to other leftists and leftist ideas.

[–] Razzazzika@lemm.ee 1 points 15 hours ago

Left wing comedians like John Stuart, John Oliver, and Stephen colbert are the only way I'm staying sane. They deliver the worst of the news in a lighthearted manner.

[–] Iapar@feddit.org 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Last week tonight with John oliver hits the right spot for me.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's only so much of that show I can watch because it's "Here's how fucking godawful this thing is, but it gets worse"

There's just so much of that shit you can handle before you start digging a hole in the backyard.

[–] collinrs@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

if you only watch the main segment that gets posted to YouTube, that's definitely how it goes. The full show does a good job of sandwiching it between light-hearted, palatable goofs.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Oliver is a pretty good entry point. Then again so is Sam cedar. Although the recent episode of Jubilee He was on is enough to drive any sane person mad. He pretty well owned everyone he spoke against. But they were so smug and ignorant they thought they were winning the whole time. But the majority report is generally fairly upbeat and informative. Sam and his co-host pretty well know what they're talking about and are decent presenters

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago
[–] Lyrl@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

The in-your-face topics of "society and culture" and "comedy" are close to evenly split.

The shows the right is dominating in are things like sports and wellness and spirituality with political sprinkles. The left didn't even have one show in the article's survey of those topics.

[–] ebolapie@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

It's been a while since I was into podcasts but Srsly Wrong used to be one of my favorites for a more optimistic discussion of leftist theory.

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[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Russell Brand is right wing?

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 5 points 19 hours ago

Yes. It was a whole debacle when he switched back and went anti vegan. Not for the non vegan part but for the start leaning right part. Well .. maybe for the vegan part too depending on your plant bent.

[–] Flatworm7591@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.zip 2 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

I remember when he started his YouTube vlog he was a communist or at the very least a socialist, but I haven't watched anything from him in like 10 years as I do not watch this personality based podcasts.

I guess the algorithm shapes the creators too, not just the viewers.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 1 day ago (5 children)

They used subscriber count as a metric which is really stupid.

Peterson for example shows up with 23M for his total social media presence. His YT channel has 8.64M subscribers but he has become completely irrelevant and his videos average around 200k views with some exceptions.

View count is all that matters here if we are talking about political influence.

[–] Jhuskindle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Not only that but we know for a fact subscriber count can be bought. X uses hundreds of thousands of bot accounts to fuel whatever they are in the mood for. It doesn't really mean much.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 6 points 1 day ago

Also Rogan more than likely has a fucking ton of idle left wing subs. Dudes show was fucking great before he moved to Texas.

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[–] BaldManGoomba@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oof that h3 blue marker i hope it stays but I feel like he will begin his grift to the right soon

[–] Silk@lemm.ee 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Since they are full on Zionists and they basically use their community as a brigading attack dog I had a laugh when I saw them blue.

[–] BaldManGoomba@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

Yeah same i am a hasan fan over h3 and the fall out has sad

[–] peregrin5@lemm.ee 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Maybe the left is just less terminally online than the right.

[–] johncandy1812@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Also not as heavily funded by the right-wing sponsors. Tim Pool is funded by Russia.

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 day ago

the city is back up, it's a must, we outside

[–] draughtcyclist@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is Lex Friedman right leaning? I haven't listened a ton, but I got a neutral impression.

[–] Flatworm7591@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] draughtcyclist@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Ah, that makes sense. It's more recent.

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