Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News
Poster
Directed by	Andrew Rossi
Music by	Ian Hultquist
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producer	Andrew Rossi
Cinematography	Bryan Sarkinen
Editor	Cindy Lee
Running time	95 minutes
Original release
Release	March 19, 2020 (2020-03-19)

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News is a 2020 documentary television film directed by Andrew Rossi and executive produced by Brian Stelter. The film premiered on HBO on March 19, 2020.^[1][2][3][4]

The film surveys the effects of disinformation campaigns occurring on social media and the impacts of well known conspiracy theories from Obama birther theories and Jade Helm, to Seth Rich, to Pizzagate, as well as some of the major and minor personalities involved. "Disinformation" is the intentional dissemination of falsehoods.^[3] The documentary shows that although the elements of fake news are not new, modern fake news is enhanced and amplified by information technology. The roots of fake news are distrust and exploitation. "Inevitably, [the film] confronts the question of what we should do about fake news."^[1][2] It also shows the background of two conspiracy theorists to create and promote a conspiracy theory regarding Robert Mueller in order to smear him while serving as special counsel.^[5]

The film's main theme^[3] is framed by "dash-cam footage of Edgar Maddison Welch" as he drove with a high powered gun from North Carolina to Comet Ping Pong pizzeria in Washington, D.C., with intent to stop what he delusively believed to be a "child sex slave ring".^[1] The film shows the Pizzagate conspiracy growing on Reddit and 4chan, how it was fomented by the alt-right and Alex Jones, which then translated into a real-life dangerous situation^[3] that occurred beyond the internet.^[1]

• Jerome Corsi
• Brother of Seth Rich
• James Alefantis
• Jack Burkman

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Expansive in scope and methodically researched, After Truth is a chilling thesis on how disinformation corrodes every corner of society."^[6][7]

• Lowry, Brian (March 17, 2020). "' After Truth ' and ' Networld ' look at the dangers of the disinformation age". CNN. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
• Pollock, C.; Samuels, A. (May 3, 2018). "Hysteria over Jade Helm exercise in Texas was fueled by Russians, former CIA director says". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
• Allbright, Claire (November 1, 2017). "Two Russian Facebook pages managed to organize dueling rallies in front of a Houston mosque in 2016". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
• Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election. by researchers at New York University and Stanford University. April 2017. Free PDF download.

• Official website
• After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News at IMDb
• After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News at Rotten Tomatoes
• After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News at Metacritic