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Conspiracy Theories And The Rise Of QAnon

Renee Bright
/
KUER

 

On December 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch took an assault rifle into a Washington, D.C., pizza joint and fired three times. Why? He believed there was a secret pedophilia ring in the basement run by Hilary Clinton.

The world of conspiracy theories and theorists have always existed in American history, but as this realm has grown, ignoring it would “require willful blindness,” according toThe Atlantic editor Adrienne LaFrance. In a new piece titled “The Prophecies of Q,” LaFrance lays out the conspiracy theory known as QAnon, which its adherents believe is a deep state plot against Donald Trump and his supporters, as well as a child sex-trafficking network run by Democrats. We’ll look at QAnon, what conspiracy theories mean now, what drives these theories and how important they really are.

GUESTS:

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.