As people try to make sense of the Coronavirus epidemic, some have unfortunately turned to conspiracy theories linking Covid-19 to the installation of 5G networks. In this episode, Bob and Ben speak with Stacy Wood about her research on conspiracy theories, the past conspiracy theories that have converged in the 5G theory, and the reasons some people are willing to accept these explanations of the world in spite of strong evidence to the contrary.
Dr. Stacy Wood is Assistant Professor at the School of Computing and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a critical scholar of archives, information policy and information studies who engages with the legal and cultural aspects of records and technology. You can find out more about her at her personal website, StacyEWood.com and follow her on twitter at @StacyEWood. You can also hear Stacy in RTN episodes #12 and #146.
More from Stacy Wood:
“Something really key in the 5G+ coronavirus world [not covered in this episode] is an interview from January 22, 2020 with a Belgian doctor (Kris Van Kerckhoven) that was one of the first times this “link” was asserted in mainstream press. This got linked up with the pre-existing 5G crowd and we were off to the races. The interview has come down from the newspaper’s website, but nothing ever dies on the internet. Het Laatste Nieuws was the publication.
Secondly, this is a bit more context on Blackbird.ai and tracking coordinated disinformation efforts.”
Images from Stacy Wood
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
Our Sponsor
This episode brought to you with support from our friends at La Cosecha Coffee Roasters. Go to lacosechacoffee.com & enter promo code RTN10 at checkout for 10% off your next purchase.