Send us a Text Message. On today's episode, lecturer and researcher on conspiratorial beliefs Ilya Yablokov joins me to discuss Russia Today's usage of conspiratorial ideologies and how that has helped the Kremlin villainize the U.S. He shares his thoughts on how U.S. and Russian conspiracy theory culture is similar and different. As well as address the effectiveness is news media literacy. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Thread The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on Threads Substack The Social Chemist Newsletter | Substack Ilya Yablokov's Bo ..read more

In today's episode, Royce Hutson, Ph.D., joins me to discuss the role of social workers in addressing political extremism and the effectiveness of violent extremism prevention programs. We also discuss the state of political extremism with the upcoming 2024 elections. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Thread The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on Threads Royce A. Hutson Literature Review  Preventing Violent Extremism and Social Work: Recent US History and Prospects | Journal of Human Rights and Social Work (springer.com) Recommended Episo ..read more

On today's episode, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Pierre joins me to discuss the psychosocial elements that contributed to the susceptibility of the QAnon movement, and the varying degrees of convictions held by Q followers. We explore what the future might hold for QAnon as a potential Trump presidency slowly creeps back into power. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Thread The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on Threads Dr. Joseph Pierre Twitter/Website Joe Pierre, MD - psychunseen.bsky.social (@psychunseen) / X (twitter.com) Joe Pierre, MD ..read more

On today's episode, Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware counterterrorism experts from the Council on Foreign Relations stop by to discuss their new book "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far Right Terrorism in America." which tracks the history of white supremacy from the Reconstruction era all the way to the modern-day America.  They offer policy suggestions on how to combat the rise of political extremism and their thoughts into the state of democracy with the upcoming 2024 election. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Thread The Social Chemist (@socialchemi ..read more

On today's episode, Matson and Tawni Browning join to discuss their 2023 book "The Hate Next Door: Undercover within the New Face of White Supremacy," which documents their experience going undercover as white political extremists infiltrating hate groups such as the National Alliance and Unit 88. They offer some reasons why people joined white supremacy groups and advice to help anyone falling down the rabbit hole of hate. Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Thread The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on Threads Substack The Social Chemist | Subst ..read more

On today's episode, DeMario Phipps-Smith, a Senior Manager of Community Learning at the News Project Literacy, joins me to discuss news media literacy. As AI technology evolves at a fast pace, scholars on misinformation wonder how this will change our understanding of false narratives. What role do educators have in this social problem, and what tools can be used? The discussion will help us better understand this complex issue and offer resources to help combat disinformation. Facebook The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and video ..read more

On today's episode, Matthew Facciani a sociologist at the University of Notre Dame in the Computer Science and Engineering department joins me to discuss how negative vaccine attitudes don't necessarily tell us about public health behaviors. We touch upon whether government regulations of social media to mitigate misinformation are effective and other strategies in reducing conspiracy theory consumption. Lastly, we talk about his first book "Misguided: Where Misinformation starts, how it spreads, and what to do about it" and the central theme of his work. Facebook The Social Chemist | Faceboo ..read more

On today's episode, Todd C. Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, joins me to talk about how AI-generated imagery will change how mis and disinformation is created and disseminated. We discussed how effective regulating this technology will be in mitigating propaganda and political extremism and whether it will alter how researchers in fake news understand this issue.    Facebook  The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter The Social Chemist | Twitter Substack The Social Chemist ..read more

On today's episode Ph.D. professor of Social Work, Carole B. Cox from Fordham University joins to discuss the importance of the social work profession in addressing far-right conspiratorial thinking. We touch on the topic of whether Donald Trump's influence in U.S. politics is a cult or a political movement and whether it is possible for social workers at the micro-level to address the wave of disinformation spread on social media websites. The discussion aims to bring awareness to a discipline whose objective is to fight oppression and advocate for human rights, principles that are eroding wi ..read more

On today's episode Ph.D. professor of Social Work, Carole B. Cox from Fordham University joins to discuss the importance of the social work profession in addressing far-right conspiratorial thinking. We touch on the topic of whether Donald Trump's influence in U.S. politics is a cult or a political movement and whether it is possible for social workers at the micro-level to address the wave of disinformation spread on social media websites. The discussion aims to bring awareness to a discipline whose objective is to fight oppression and advocate for human rights, principles that are eroding wi ..read more