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Story Archives of 'conspiracy theories'
The Counter-Counters
By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, November 12, 2009.
Be afraid, be very afraid. A census agent is coming to your door! Right-wing talk radio, TV and blogs are abuzz with warnings about census gatherers, armed with handheld devices that electronically transmit your home’s location and information about your family.
The anti-census rhetoric took a grim turn in September, when census field worker Bill Sparkman was found hanging from a tree in Kentucky with “fed” scrawled on his chest –although his death has not been officially linked to his work on the census. Writer James Burnett wrote about the census backlash for the Boston Globe ideas section and joins us with more on census conspiracy theories.
Skeptics vs. Conspiracy Theorists
By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
From President Obama’s birth certificate to the 9/11 attacks, conspiracy theorists flock to the internet to compare notes and rally against the status quo. While long-relegated to the darker and more obscure corners of the web, conspiracy theories are growing in popularity.
Now, a group of skeptics are taking it upon themselves to organize and fight back against unfounded rumors using science and reason. They convened in London earlier this month to plot their attack. Freelance writer Arran Frood was there for BBC News Online and joins us to discuss the conspiracy backlash.
BBC News Magazine: When Skeptics Fight Back
(Photo by bruno bollaert via Flickr/Creative Commons)
