HN treats it as the definitive, compassionate documentary on why people fall into conspiracy theories.
Topics › Politics, History & Society
The best media, journalism & propaganda videos, according to Hacker News
333 videos about media, journalism & propaganda that Hacker News commenters keep pointing each other to, ranked by how many separate months they were recommended. Part of Politics, History & Society.
HN recommends it often and strongly as an eye-opening account of marketing psychology and the engineering of consumer society.
Recommended as the standard companion to any Adam Curtis film, since it lampoons the style and gives reasons to take his claims with skepticism.
HN commenters recommend it constantly in threads about advertising, propaganda and manipulation as the origin story of the consumer society.
Recommended during Afghanistan withdrawal threads as a sobering look at why the transition to local forces was failing.
Commenters repeatedly recommend it in tax haven and offshore finance threads as an excellent, low-budget overview of British offshore finance.
HN links it whenever threads cover book spam, AI-written ebooks or passive-income hustle culture.
HN commenters hold it up as a model of persuasive public speaking and as the go-to reminder of why public broadcasting deserves funding.
HN commenters cite it in homelessness threads about San Francisco and Seattle as an eye-opening, widely viewed argument for treatment-first policy, though some see it as pro-law-enforcement framing.
HN repeatedly points to it as the eye-opening explanation of media consolidation and scripted local news.
HN invokes it constantly in debates over originality, copyright and AI training, and calls it the best explanation of creativity as remixing.
Cited heavily in Roblox threads as a damning investigation into child labor, exploitation, and weak moderation, and suggested viewing for parents.
It is the go-to long-form critique of crypto that HN commenters recommend whenever skeptics ask for a thorough, well-researched takedown.
Recommended as a funny but depressing investigation, and the usual link in threads on predatory publishing and fake citations.
HN commenters use it as the go-to funny, accessible explanation of net neutrality and credit it with driving public comments to the FCC.
Strongly and repeatedly recommended as a visually distinctive documentary and a guide to postmodern ideas on politics, truth and technology.
HN treats it as the standard accessible explainer on civil forfeiture, linked in nearly every thread about police seizures.
HN uses it in TPP and trade-deal threads as a clear example of ISDS being used by corporations against governments.
HN commenters send people here for a detailed first-hand account from the pilot, and some say it changed their view on the sightings.
HN recommends it as an accessible overview of the data broker industry in privacy discussions.
Frequently recommended as an absorbing look at hot-metal typesetting and the end of the linotype era.
Climate-skeptic commenters link it as evidence against the CO2 consensus, while others cite it as an example of climate-change denial.
Go-to reference in lottery threads for the point that earmarked lottery revenue does not really add to school funding.
HN commenters recommend it as a more thoughtful, balanced and personal take on cancel culture than usual discussion.
HN recommends it as a calm, evidence-based debunking whenever the Navy UFO videos come up.
HN links it in right-to-repair and McFlurry-machine threads as the go-to in-depth explainer of the franchisee and Taylor arrangement.
HN points to it as the best way to explain to ordinary people why privacy and mass surveillance matter.
HN returns to it constantly as the definitive critique of adversarial TV punditry, still seen as relevant to polarized media and online discourse.
Offered as an accessible, well-made explainer to share in threads on scam texts, crypto fraud and scam compounds.
HN points to it as an informative, fact-heavy overview of the opioid crisis and Purdue Pharma.
HN refers to it as the direct first-person account from the pilot in UFO and UAP threads, though some find it unconvincing.
HN cites it as the classic example of an interviewer misrepresenting a guest, though opinions on who came out better differ.
HN recommends it to engineers as a skeptical counterweight to technology boosterism, especially for those building AI and consumer tech features.
HN commenters bring it up in threads on propaganda, influence operations and platforms like TikTok, saying it feels more relevant than ever.
Pointed to as the clearest, evidence-based debunk of the Gimbal footage, and a model of how to analyze such claims.
Boeing threads cite it as early evidence of deep cultural and quality problems at Boeing, years before the 737 MAX crashes.
HN cites it to explain freebooting, Facebook's inflated view metrics and why Content ID matters for small creators.
Cited in propaganda and disinformation threads, though some commenters present it more as a prediction of current events than established analysis.
Quoted heavily in moderation and free speech debates, particularly the line about freedom of speech and reach.
HN points people to it as an entertaining, thorough takedown of Hancock's pseudoarchaeology whenever his claims come up.
HN cites it in threads on churches, tax exemption and religious fundraising, as the go-to explainer on seed faith televangelism.
HN commenters recommend it as a clear explanation of how disinformation campaigns work and where today's tactics came from.
HN commenters recommend it as the best single, entertaining overview of Tether's dubious history, and cite it when arguing Tether lacks real USD backing.
HN commenters recommend it as an entertaining and thoughtful look at flat earthers that frames the belief as a distrust of failing institutions.
HN recommends it as a quick, accessible introduction to the propaganda model from Manufacturing Consent.
HN recommends the series for explaining the tactics and mentality of bad-faith online arguments.
HN commenters cite it in moderation and politics threads as a clear account of why hard rules fail against dogwhistles and how isolated people get recruited.
HN commenters repeatedly cite it as a checkable, math-based debunking of the famous UFO clips whenever UAP stories come up.
HN people point to it as an entry point to the Hancock and Carlson lost-civilization theories, while noting the ideas are controversial.
HN invokes it as the best spoof of how news is formulaically produced, often when discussing media quality or automated news.
HN recommends it as an entertaining explanation of chroma keying, green screens and how cameras process color.
HN shares it as a short summary of why copyright length matters and the history of Disney-driven term extensions.
HN commenters point to it as a clear account of how minor infractions punish the poor.
HN recommends it as real on-the-ground reporting on how banned GPUs get into China despite export controls.
HN recommends it as a funny but sobering overview of nuclear weapons safety failures.
HN commenters recommend it as a rare, eye-opening look inside North Korea, though one notes such tours are staged.
HN points to it in housing-cost threads as the standard example of government-built housing keeping rents down.
HN points to it as a well-researched, accessible overview of PFAS in PFAS-related threads.
HN cites it as a clear explainer on sponsorship and ad disclosure rules and their inconsistency across media.
HN commenters recommend it as a methodical debunking of early lab-leak claims.
HN repeatedly cites it in any thread on why glasses are expensive, as the eye-opening explanation of Luxottica's monopoly.
HN cites it as a striking confession obtained through caller ID spoofing and social engineering.
Praised as a remarkable piece of social engineering, spoofed caller ID plus pretexting, that produced direct evidence of the poisoning.
Recommended in urbanism threads as a well-sourced account of how car dependency was manufactured.
HN commenters recommend it as an investigative look at CS skin gambling and the exploitation of minors.
HN commenters bring it up in political threads as a classic warning about divisive agitators and fascism, and suggest it be remade for each generation.
HN commenters recommend it as an introduction to shills, astroturfing and lobbyist influence on media, especially in threads about fake news and online forums.
Commenters cite it, with Oliver's other two opioid segments, as a well-researched case against pharma marketing and the Purdue settlements.
HN commenters recommend it as an entertaining and sophisticated primer on reading science reporting critically.
HN points to it as an accessible, well-made mix of education and entertainment for anyone wanting to understand the Xinjiang situation.
HN commenters link it to argue that cultural subversion and normalization are playing out today, though mostly as a reference in unrelated threads.
HN recommends it as a thorough, nuanced perspective on the Rowling controversy and on cancel culture from a trans creator.
HN commenters call it the definitive, thorough answer to whether vaccines cause autism and recommend it as an entertaining deep dive.
HN commenters recommend it as the most exhaustive, well-sourced rebuttal of JFK conspiracy theories, often when new assassination claims surface.
Shared after the 2016 election and later as a pithy account of why Trump won and why political division needs to be moved past.
HN resurfaces it during Boeing safety stories as early, firsthand evidence that production and management problems long predate the 737 Max.
HN recommends it as a good overview of predatory lending and the problems with payday loans.
HN cites it as a vivid example of coordinated messaging and media consolidation, though some mentions use the title only as a quip.
HN cites it as a vivid example of media consolidation and coordinated messaging.
Cited as a thoughtful video essay and for its model of in-group hierarchy in political threads.
Commenters point to it whenever AI-generated content, propaganda or internet garbage comes up, since Kojima seemed to predict it in 2001.
Cited in threads on YouTube algorithms and creator complaints as a data-driven look at the trending tab.
Recommended in threads about Purdue and Sackler immunity as a good primer on the issue.
Cited in threads on corporate politics, outrage and branding as an explanation of how companies use controversy and social stances for profit.
Recommended as a primer on recognising trolling and dog-whistle tactics in online discussion.
HN points to it as an informative explainer on why many carbon offset schemes are not genuine.
HN commenters recommend it as an interesting on-the-ground perspective on Confucius Institutes and Chinese influence operations.
Cited in threads about hard-to-cancel subscriptions and timeshare scams as an informative overview of the sketchy exit industry.
HN cites it in discussions of sponsored science content and Veritasium's credibility, usually as the go-to critique.
Recommended and quoted in threads on media bias, press and power, and self-censorship.
HN recommends it as practical advice on dealing with tech press, whenever someone asks how to pitch TechCrunch and similar outlets.
HN cites it as a quick, entertaining explainer to correct the myth of the frivolous coffee lawsuit.
Offered as an example of someone who publicly predicted the financial crisis ahead of time, in arguments about economic forecasting.
HN cites it in discussions about how media should report mass shootings, as an expert-backed argument for not glorifying perpetrators.
HN commenters point to it as eyewitness testimony and multi-radar evidence in UFO threads, though some dispute it.
HN commenters point to it for Hanson's grabby aliens reasoning as an unusual framework for thinking about UFO behavior and intelligent life in the cosmos.
Cited to illustrate false balance and the trouble with giving all sides equal weight.
HN links it in personal finance threads as an entertaining explanation of how fees erode retirement savings.
HN returns to it in discussions of algorithmic feeds, misinformation and parasocial relationships, as a clear and thoughtful talk.
Cited as a short overview of the propaganda model whenever commenters discuss media influence and consent manufacturing.
HN cites it as first-hand, independent reporting on Xinjiang that does not rely on state-sanctioned access.
Referenced in threads on social media manipulation and junk content as an interesting miniseries, though one commenter criticized its ExpressVPN ad read.
HN commenters share it during DOGE and government-cuts threads as a summary of the billionaires' aims, though many only cite it as a reference.
HN cites it in Lambda School threads as a revealing interview that lends credibility to Woo's reporting.
Recommended to people interested in propaganda, misinformation and how to improve public discourse.
HN recommends it as an accessible, funny explanation of why vaccines matter.
HN mostly uses it as a reference for a skeptical take on Russiagate media coverage, and some link it to give context on the reporter.
HN people cite it as a vivid demonstration of how editing shapes perception in documentaries and reality television.
Recommended as a funny, clear explanation of native advertising whenever sponsored content in media is discussed.
HN recommends it as the boring, convincing debunking of the Gofast, FLIR and Gimbal videos, which commenters say ended UFO hype for them.
Recommended as a revealing look at how politicians and news anchors behave off camera and how packaged news feeds were produced.
HN recommends it whenever legal threats against critics or open-source authors come up, often as the best accessible primer on SLAPP suits.
HN uses it as a reference for AI slop, LLMs citing LLM output, and the growing difficulty of fact checking.
HN returns to it as an uncannily prescient prediction of tech consolidation and AI-written, personalized news.
Brought up whenever Vice is discussed, as a memorable scene of Carr pressing its founders.
HN points to it as the primary evidence of what Cambridge Analytica was willing to do, especially in Facebook data scandal threads.
Recommended as a funny but serious critique of the show's portrayal of authority and policing.
HN treats it as top-tier investigative journalism on YouTube and the video that triggered lawsuits against Honey.
HN commenters recommend the series for understanding bad-faith 'just kidding' dynamics and trolling online.
Pointed to in debates over stadium subsidies as a persuasive case that cities should not pay for stadiums.
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