Manufacturing Doubt in Democracy

Abstract

This is a comment on how leaders in politics, industry, and media disseminate intentional falsehoods for self-serving purposes, causing harm in the process. It focuses on one recent development in this area--the Heritage Foundation's release of a misleading video on a hot button political topic. Although this news item related to a falsehood benefiting the political Right, individuals and organizations on both sides of the political aisle engage in disseminating intentional falsehoods. The comment concludes by calling for greater restrictions on the ways leaders in politics, industry, and media intentionally mislead the public, arguing that fraud aimed at millions should hold no greater First Amendment protections than fraud aimed at one individual.

Keywords: First Amendment, Fraud, Disinformation, Misinformation, Political Speech, Commercial Speech, Political Campaigns, False Speech