Using the Life Cycle of Media Manipulation, each case study features a chronological description of a media manipulation event, which is filtered along specific variables such as tactics, targets, mitigation, outcomes, and keywords.
Born from a single trenchant joke tweeted out of exasperation, the #OscarsSoWhite campaign has grown into a long-lasting movement demanding racial equity in Hollywood.
Andrew Tate's rise to fame in 2022 relied on internet hustle culture, popular reaction videos, and mainstream media amplification, which buoyed his misogynistic and prejudiced views into a powerful brand.
How did a TikTok trend that never existed alarm schools and teachers across the United States? This case documents how viral misinformation spread by concerned adults and amplified by the press became a full-fledged media manipulation campaign.
In a critique of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal and corruption and censorship in Malaysia writ large, activist and artist Fahmi Reza posted a widely-circulated image of Najib as a clown on social media. Although the government arrested Fahmi in a bid to contain its proliferation, the meme nonetheless continued to gain traction, becoming a symbol of resistance that is still used to this day.
