What damage does disinformation cause our body politic? On this episode of Now & Then, “Disinformation and Democracy,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman trace the history of disinformation in America, with an emphasis on how technology has fueled the rise of misleading and outright false political news. They discuss the role of the partisan press in shaping early American disinformation, the development of the telegraph in 19th century information warfare, and the rise of GOP-led dirty tricks campaigns over the last fifty years, and the glut of disinformation shaping our current landscape. How have malign actors used our information technology to wreak confusion and discord? And how can we protect our democracy against disinformation as we move forth?  

Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: www.cafe.com/history.

Sign up for the CAFE Brief, a free weekly newsletter that features analysis of news at the intersection of law, politics, and history: cafe.com/brief

For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/disinformation-and-democracy

The executive producer is Tamara Sepper. The editorial producer is David Kurlander. The audio producer is Matthew Billy. The Now & Then theme music was composed by Nat Weiner. The Cafe team is Adam Waller, David Tatasciore, Sam Ozer-Staton, Noa Azulai, and Jake Kaplan. Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices