Category: Media

Joe Paris, a journalist for the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and I spoke yesterday about the growing fears of food shortages across Canada instigated by disinformation and conspiracy. This growing fear is an aspect of the current trucker convoy on its way to protest in Ottawa, and serves as a mobilization tool and as a separator between Canadians across the spectrum on vaccination mandates.

While memes and images are shared on social media, the underlying assumption of these images is as a form of fear mongering that can be a catalyst to acceptance on conspiracy theories.

In mid-November I was interviewed for an article for Global News, on the topic of viral hoaxes on TikTok. Following the release of this written article Global News Radio contacted me to continue the discussion.

I was interviewed by Noor Ibrahim of Global News on the topic of the potential of the spreading of misinformation in the metaverse. Watch the clip here.

A few months ago I did an interview with the Religious Studies Project on my research and publications. The interview was just posted, and I am excited to share this podcast!

From their introduction: In this episode, Maxinne Connolly-Panagopoulus discusses the range of Dr. Carmen Celestini’s work on religious conspiracy theories, Christian apocalyptic thought its impacts on the American political system. and tracks some of the parallels between early and modern conspiracy theories. They cover early grassroots movements such as the Anti-Masonic Party and the Know Nothings, who sought to fight against what they perceived as a threat to Christian values from a New World Order. This is paralleled to QAnon and current theories which hold a similar distrust of the government, the media and beliefs of a Satanic New World Order. We then move to discuss The John Birch Society and how their form of improvisational conspiracism linked to contemporary right-wing mobilisation and the Christian Identity Organisation. Threaded throughout our discussion, we ask explore the motivations for joining such a movement and what keeps people there despite moving targets and failed prophecies. Finally, Carmen describes the state of the field of conspiracy movements today, and where she sees it going in the future.

You can listen to the interview here.