Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the Disinformation Age.

Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2022. Paperback octavo, very good condition, minor edgewear. 392 pp. From fringe conspiracy theories to 'alternative facts’, a timely look at how we arrived in the 'fake news' era. How did this happen? It was the culmination of a journey of online radicalisation that began with the weaponisation of disinformation by political leaders and outrageously biased 'news' commentators. Ed Coper puts fake news in its historical context and explains how disinformation has fractured society, even threatening democracy itself. He explains why disinformation is so potent and so hard to stop, and what we can do to help prevent its proliferation in Australia - where politicians and shock jocks are already operating from the same dark playbook. He outlines how anyone can defuse disinformation in the home, office or pub, or wherever the deluded gather to spread their nonsense. Ed Coper is a communication expert who helped drive the success of 'GetUp' and 'Change.org'.