TRUE ENOUGH Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society

Salon blogger Manjoo dissects how stories in the public consciousness spread, often with little regard to the truth. Through "selective perception," consumers can omit facts while forming opinions. Narrator Ray Porter maintains a respectful, even tone in describing the examples that reflect both sides of the political aisle, from the right's faulty Swift Boat campaign to the left's lack of evidence in support of a stolen election in 2004. Perceptions are analyzed in messages that offer "more theater than truth," and examples include 9/11 conspiracy theories and even a 1951 football game. But the most shocking examples come in the form of biased broadcast television "news reports." Again, Porter's narration never takes sides. Listeners will be alarmed by the influence of "experts on the take" doling out what Manjoo calls "amateur research." M.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]