This chapter offers some reflections on the media coverage and the on-line conversations around the untimely death of James Le Mesurier, founder of the White Helmets, which epitomizes the post-truth condition as discussed throughout the book. The chapter also presents some closing remarks on the geopolitical significance of the post-truth crisis, by drawing from the multiple case studies presented in the previous chapters. Examples are discussed that show possible avenues of technical, educational, cultural and political intervention that can curb the global spread of misinformation and disinformation, with the broader goal of restoring trust in mediating institutions and in the democratic process.
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Stewart, W., et al. (2019). “Syria’s President Assad says British White Helmets founder James Le Mesurier was killed by ‘CIA and western intelligence, just like Jeffrey Epstein’”. Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7684823/White-Helmets-founder-suicidal-thoughts-claims-wife.html.
The phrase ‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’ has recently become an Internet meme. See Ellis, E. G. (2019). “‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’ and the meme-ing of conspiracy”. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/epstein-didnt-kill-himself-conspiracy/.
RT. (2019). “Assad likens ‘suicide’ of White Helmets founder to EPSTEIN & other high-profile mystery deaths”. RT. https://www.rt.com/news/473579-assad-epstein-white-helmets-deaths/.
Di Giovanni, J. (2019). “The brief and inspiring life of James Le Mesurier”. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/opinion/syria-white-helmet-founder-dead.html.
Bartlett, E. (2018). “UN panel details organ theft, staged attacks by the White Helmets”. Mint Press News. https://www.mintpressnews.com/un-panel-details-organ-theft-staged-attacks-white-helmets/253441/.
Bradshaw, S., & Howard, P. (2019). The global disinformation order: 2019 global inventory of organised—Social media manipulation. Oxford, UK: Oxford Internet Institute.
