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Facts and Other Lies

Welcome to the Disinformation Age

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Facts and Other Lies

By: Ed Coper
Narrated by: Jamie Oxenbould
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About this listen

From fringe conspiracy theories to 'alternative facts', a timely look at how we arrived in the 'fake news' era.

Would your younger self believe the news of today? An entire city block blown up by a suicide bomber on Christmas Day because he believed phone towers spread disease. A representative elected to the US Congress on a platform that Democrats are secretly harvesting an anti-aging chemical from the blood of abused children. Angry rioters in furs and horns overrun the Capitol in a bloody carnage of insurrection. The prime minister of Australia employing the wife of his friend who fronts a group the FBI has declared terrorists. A global pandemic which, even as they lie dying from it, people refuse to believe exists.

Many who sat in shocked disbelief as these events beamed around the world asked the same question: 'How did we get here?' For those rioters, it was the culmination of a journey of online radicalisation that began with the weaponisation of disinformation by their political leaders and outrageously biased 'news' commentators.

Facts and Other Lies puts fake news in its historical context and explains how disinformation has fractured society, even threatening democracy itself. It explains why disinformation is so potent and so hard to stop, and what we can do to help prevent its proliferation in Australia - where politicians and shock jocks are already operating from the same dark playbook. It outlines how anyone can defuse disinformation in the home, office or pub, or wherever the deluded gather to spread their nonsense. Be prepared!

©2022 Ed Coper (P)2022 W F Howes
Media Studies Sociology

Critic Reviews

"Fascinating and terrifying...illuminates so much about humans and social media." (Bri Lee, author of Who Gets to Be Smart)

"This is a timely account of a growing malignancy affecting all modern democracies." (Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia)

"Read this book if you want to save democracy." (Wayne Swan, former deputy prime minister of Australia)

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Essential reading!

Incredibly insightful and Ed Coper gives useful strategies for anyone angry about the increasing volumes of disinformation being spread on social media and mainstream media. Best book I’ve “read” all year!!!

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a well researched, important read

Will recommend this book to friends and family, such an important topic that isn't bubbling to the surface enough in the public discourse. The narration was great too.

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Needs a different narrator

The book itself is good, however the narrator is awful. He’s clearly used to doing advertising voice-overs and the whole book sounds like an advert with weird, artificial inflections. I really struggled to get through the last 2.5 hours. Please re-record it with someone else.

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brilliant book, great voice work

should be a textbook on the subject. Covers disinformation in a all encompassing way that features practical solutions, academic research and interesting stories.

it's good. Essential text for the post truth era.

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Excellent, essential reading

I believe this to be the most important book about disinformation that a 21st century human could read.

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Outstanding. Should be compulsory reading for all

I saw Ed Coper speak at a conference and immediately bought this book. It is a clear and compelling. A terrific and convincing mix of science and best practice for how to spread the truth. I will definitely behave differently from now on. And I will confidently share links to this book!

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Truly a must read

I could list a bunch of reasons why this book isn't perfect, but the sad reality of our the current state of global society is such that I believe understanding misinformation is at the heart of all our greatest challenge. Read this book. Please. And then do that you can to help yourself and those around you improve your ability as assess the quality of information you consume, and therefore form more informed opinions and decisions.

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