US Edition‘Who Controls the Present Controls the Past’: What Orwell’s ‘1984’ Explains About the Twisting of History to Control the Public
- Yotam Ophir, a communication professor at University at Buffalo, published the book Misinformation and Society on June 9, 2025.
- The book addresses how emerging technologies changed information sharing and why misinformation has long affected societies.
- Ophir notes that human instincts are tuned to recognize dangers that are immediate rather than those that are more remote, which adds difficulty to addressing misinformation effectively.
- He explains that misinformation does not affect all groups equally, noting that it is circulated more frequently by Republican figures and right-leaning media outlets than by Democratic ones, though this issue extends beyond any single individual, network, or platform.
- Ophir concludes that fighting misinformation requires global cooperation, recognizing its complexity and avoiding assigning isolated blame.
13 Articles
13 Articles
What Orwell’s ‘1984’ explains about the twisting of history to control the public in 2025
George Orwell’s ‘1984’ has some lessons for 2025. (NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images)When people use the term “Orwellian,” it’s not a good sign. It usually characterizes an action, an individual or a society that is suppressing freedom, particularly the freedom of expression. It can also describe something perverted by tyrannical power. It’s a term used primarily to describe the present, but whose implications inevitably connect to both the futur…
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New book explores misinformation's history, psychology, social impact and potential solutions
The internet might seem like a convenient culprit driving recent attention and concerns about misinformation, but pointing fingers exclusively at the digital age is narrow and limiting.
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