The idea was to explore the effects on society of an increasing volume of disinformation, and to determine what affect this phenomenon was having on the ability of people to determine what is real, and what is not.
I tracked down and interviewed people who played key roles in distorting the public’s perception of reality, including former intelligence and State Department officials, who gave graphic examples of how they manipulated reality in order to deceive or mislead the public. I also spoke with psychologists, philosophers, political analysts and others who provided analysis of examples I provided in order to help explain the effects of disinformation on the public’s sense of trust and security.
A number of challenges I faced included attempting to persuade people to speak about such sensitive matters, and contending with the difficulties of traveling and meeting with people face-to-face at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown protocols.
I believe the project successfully tackled the subjects of truth and reality in a way that was both relevant and enlightening. The subject was framed, in part, through the prism of the emergence of Covid-19, along with the multiple theories concerning the virus’ origin and impact, and it was set against a backdrop of a highly-contentious US Presidential election which had spawned vehement accusations of lies and dishonesty.
