Showing results for "fiction" in Propaganda & Political Psychology

The satirical novel What Not was published in 1918. Foreshadowing Orwell’s 1984, it is set in a futuristic England where a government agency, known as the Ministry of Brains, is responsible for regulating and controlling relationships and marriages based on intelligence and eugenics.

When a child trafficking network sets up a fake student exchange programme, families from around the world fall for it. Seventeen-year-old Kendall jets off on what she believes will be a Californian adventure. First stop: a luxurious hillside mansion for 'Orientation Week'. Blinded by the opulence and their own naivety, the youngsters cavort. Meanwhile hidden cameras transmit images to international buyers of them flirting, sleeping, bathing and playing. Slowly, Kendall begins to suspect that something is wrong.

When society seems to demand confidence and certainty, how much courage does it take to admit doubt, especially self-doubt? In this personal essay, one of Australia's most respected journalists argues in favour of a doubtful mind. Her classic personal essay carries a message about the value of truth, scrutiny and accountability - a much-needed antidote to fake news. Donald Trump, the post-truth world and the instability of Australian politics are all examined in this fresh take on her prescient essay on the media and political trends that define our times.