When Propaganda Becomes "Truth"

Attempting to brand Israel's war against Hamas a “genocide,” while Israel fights an organisation that openly calls for its destruction, may go down as one of the most successful propaganda campaigns of our lifetime.

But how do supposedly serious people—politicians, journalists, human rights organisations, and international institutions—come to repeat accusations that deserve far greater scrutiny?

In this episode, I examine how propaganda acquires legitimacy through a self-reinforcing system of institutional citations. A UN Special Rapporteur makes an allegation. An NGO cites the Rapporteur. A newspaper cites the NGO. A politician cites the newspaper and the UN expert. Eventually, the original allegation appears to be supported by dozens of independent authorities, even when those authorities are relying on one another.

Using the UN's Special Rapporteurs, particularly Francesca Albanese, as a case study, I explore how flawed evidence, institutional bias, and circular citations can manufacture the appearance of international consensus.

Because when authority replaces evidence, repetition begins to masquerade as verification. And once a claim has been repeated often enough, propaganda starts to look like established truth.

Read my essays and subscribe to the publication at chicomuya.com.