|Reflection 3: The Truth is Out There—America in the Era of Conspiracy Theories

We live in an era in which Americans are suspicious of authority—and now, the news. A mounting distrust in our institutions, built over decades of scandals and cover-ups, has Americans weary of many of the government’s “official” positions on issues. In the absence of this civic trust has allowed conspiracy theories to fill the void. These theories arouse our paranoia and rest on the common belief that we are not being told the truth. In an era of social media, conspiracy theories have thrived in recent years. It is idea vehicle for the wide dissemination of misinformation.

For this reflection, examine two of the following conspiracy theories. In your examination, explore why the theories were born and why they persist. Finally, do either of them have any grounding in reality? Are you a believer? If so, why?

Choose two of the following:

• Ancient Alien Theories
• The Battle of Los Angeles
• The Roswell Crash 
• The Area 51 Cover-Up
• The Death of Marilyn Monroe 
• The JFK Assassination 
• The Moon Landing Hoax 
• The Bigfoot Cover-Up
• The Face on Mars 
• The Death of Elvis Presley 
• The Death of Tupac Shakur 
• The Death of Princess Diana 
• The Illuminati and the New World Order
• The 9/11 Cover-Up 
• The Global Warming Hoax 
• The Chemtrails Cover-Up 
• The Autism-Vaccination Link 
• President Obama’s Fake Birth Certificate 
• Hillary Clinton and Pizzagate

Cite any sources you use in your examination.

Required:

• MLA Style
• Works cited 
• Two full pages in length

Due: Fri10.6