In New HBO Documentary the Price of Fake News is Credible Journalism
(Photo Credit: HBO)
By Veronica Longo
Released by HBO on March 19, Andrew Rossi’s documentary, “After Truth” is a powerful cautionary tale that provides an intense look at the resurgence of fake news and conspiracy theories and how they blur the lines of journalism. It shows the very real effect media can have on people in communities and warns its viewers to maintain the ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
Rossi, who Lehmanites may be familiar with from his past work on “Bronx Gothic,” breaks down how rumors on websites such as Reddit can travel as far as a Washington lobbyist, Jack Burkman.
Burkman gives a chilling statement about the role of fake news in modern media stating, “fake news is a weapon, fake news is a good way to drive a story… It’s become a tool of war.”
Rossi uses examples of how some events become exaggerated into a conspiracy and breaks down the process of fake news contorting the truth, which include distorting data to make people believe the reality is more sinister.
The film also shows the profound effect that misinformation can have on a community and families; a first example of this phenomena in “After Truth” takes place in 2015, when a military exercise known as Jade Helm 15, creates mass hysteria in the small town of Bastrop, TX.
Conspiracy theorists on YouTube pushed many small towns’ mistrust of the current government to create chaos. Locals attended town meetings, voiced their concerns of a martial law enacted by the Obama administration and got locked up in concentration camps. Even after a reasonable explanation was given for the exercise, fright still ran its course in numerous small towns.
Fictitious or not, Governor Abbot still sent States Guardsmen to monitor the military exercise, a response that finally calmed many locals but created a dangerous precedent in which the actions of the Texan government lent credibility to a deception created by conspiracy theorists. Rossi said, “We are in a weaponized information environment.” Information, fake or real, is quickly becoming a weapon.
The film also takes an interesting look at some news organizations’ role in driving misinformation.
Fox News, for example, uses their well-known news anchors to present rumors and opinions to be perceived as facts and breaking news. Outlets that present these types of stories will often retract the story, but never apologize to the families they affected with the misinformation.
Rossi asks of journalistic integrity: “How can news corporations just abandon the facts but face no repercussions for doing so?”
At a focal point in the film, Rossi emphasizes alt-right conservatives aren’t the only ones guilty of using fake news to their advantage, as the special elections for Alabama Senator in 2017 shows. Democrat Doug Jones against Republican Roy Moore, shows how the democratic left can use the same tactics employed during the 2016 presidential elections to sway voters. Matt Osbourne, a political operative, used Facebook and other social media to “give the Republican Party a taste of their own medicine,” pushing a fake group to push others away from Roy Moore.
“After Truth” showcases the impact that news, fake or real, can have on people’s daily lives. Rossi could not have chosen a better time to warn society about blindly believing in anything that is shown, demonstrating the need to rely on credible sources, rather than accepting social media trends as news.
Rossi’s feature should be viewed by all, for it shows the importance of understanding how fake news tries to create an “us vs. them” mentality, just as the world is experiencing a modern pandemic. The film’s ability to surprise and inform are key reasons to watch it.
