October 29, 2020
In her latest article for Right Wing Watch, “Disinformation, Coronavirus, and the 2020 Presidential Election“, Melissa Ryan writes:
In the 2016 presidential campaign, a robust disinformation effort fueled by Russia’s intelligence agencies provided a new turn in the narrative of United States politics. Now, as the 2020 presidential election approaches in a nation and world grappling with a global pandemic, disinformation is a growing threat to American democracy, especially as necessary social distancing measures make street protest impossible.
Whether claiming that George Soros controls the American left, spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic, or using disinformation to suppress black voters, right-wing operatives, along with actors who simply hope to destabilize the U.S., are sowing false and misleading information designed to foment suspicion of society’s institutions and the experts who lead them…
Melissa Ryan writes a weekly newsletter covering extremism and online toxicity called Ctrl Alt-Right Delete . She is also the CEO of CARD Strategies. Previously, Ryan spent a decade leading digital campaigns for nonprofits and political races, including EMILY’s List, Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold.
Melissa Ryan joins WMNF’s Rob Lorei with her take on disinformation, conspiracy theories, QAnon and voter manipulation.
