Latest / The Narrative Networks Podcast
Ballast and Payload: How a Mostly-True Podcast Moved “China Incited BLM”
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This report analyzes a specific instance of misinformation on the PBD Podcast, where speakers used verified facts as a delivery system for false claims about Chinese interference in the 2020 BLM protests. By interleaving accurate data about Hunter Biden with unproven assertions of foreign incitement, the program utilized a technique called paltering to make the overall narrative appear credible. Research indicates that this "ballast and payload" structure exploits illusory truth effects, as listeners who verify the easy facts tend to…
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