'Without Online Trolls, There Would Be No Donald Trump'

[sop]

Interesting article by Marcy Wheeler about rightwing influencers and online trolls. An excerpt:

"The rise of a mob-driven distraction machine prevents independent journalists from being able to drive stories like we used to. Persistent true content is no longer enough to attract eyeballs and drive narrative, because people are flooding social media with conspiracies."

"And with so many of the stories I have covered, from the Russian investigation to January 6 to the Hunter Biden case, such troll-driven mobs have a demonstrable impact on the outcome. Such mobs were instrumental in discrediting legal outcomes that used to hold sway."

"By 2025, these trolling operations come in various shapes and sizes, from high-profile, well-known right-wing influencers, including Trump and his family, to anonymous accounts that nonetheless enjoy huge followings on Twitter. The January 6 investigation disclosed far-reaching networks of Twitter, Signal, and Telegram chats used to stoke election fraud conspiracies and plot the insurrection itself. Semafor earlier this year described a series of encrypted group chats that involved some 300 tech CEOs, venture capitalists and conservative media personalities, writing that 'their influence flows through X, Substack, and podcasts, and constitutes a kind of dark matter of American politics and media.' "

"But there’s one particular network of trolls, with an origin story that is unusually revealing of the way in which the partnership between Donald Trump and these right-wing, online armies can work. It reveals the backstory to some of the digital media manipulation that helped Trump first hijack politics in 2016."

Full article at link:

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/without-online-trolls-there-would-be-no-donald-trump

[ificandream]

1. The role of Fox "news" as a troll is vastly underestimated.

So much of its programming wallows in misinformation and conspiracy theories. If it didn't have the vast network of connections (aka its viewers) it would be almost meaningless. But that's not the case, unfortunately. I wish we would take more direct hits on it. Fox, in its present state, won't be going away soon but we could hack at its power if we were to keep it in our sites more. I think we take it for granted a little too much.

[spooky3]

2. Ironic how Faux "News" ' free speech rights are unassailable, but the rest of us have to watch out. nt

[John1956PA]

3. Recently, I saw that an online Troll on some social media site posted that the East Wing was built in the 1940s.

In reality, the beautiful East Colonnade was built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. A smaller-sized East Wing was also build at the time. In the 1940s, the East Wing was significantly expanded in size under President Franklin Roosevelt.

The online trolls are arguing that the destruction of the East Colonnade and the East Wing is no greater a loss than the removal of Confederate statues which were erected during the Jim Crow era.

[Marthe48]

5. How did the trolls feel about the taliban destroying the Buddha statues?

I bet they wrung their hands. What a 180 on preserving history.

[John1956PA]

6. I remember when the Taliban did those dirty deeds.

That was the first time I heard of them. I was sickened. I had the feeling they had more evil intentions in mind. Sure enough, 9-11 occurred not long thereafter.

[Mc Mike]

4. Great article. Gamergate, nazi, and russkie trolls

gave us the fat nazi traitor slob as our 'leader'.