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“This culture of fear is sustained by a whole media ecosystem”

From La Libre Belgique · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Philosopher Guillaume Le Blanc says media mechanisms help sustain a culture of fear that can make people more vulnerable to fake news.
  • David Marchand’s novel follows two friends divided by a rumor that parents have implanted tracking chips in their children.
  • The story ends with journalists visiting a classroom to teach students how to identify fake news.

“Someone who watches CNews from morning to night ends up being afraid of everything, in good faith,” says philosopher Guillaume Le Blanc. In his essay *Les passions dangereuses*, he examines how fear has become embedded in modern media culture.

Le Blanc says fear is maintained by “a whole media ecosystem” and lies at the center of the mystery surrounding fake news. It is also the emotion most readily exploited by those who spread false stories, because it weakens judgment and appeals to emotion and irrational thinking.

This culture of fear is sustained today by a whole media ecosystem.

· Guillaume Le BlancThe philosopher discusses how media mechanisms help maintain fear and create conditions in which fake news can spread.

David Marchand explores that process in *Les mystères des fake news*, a nuanced and delicate novel illustrated by Rémi Farnos. Arsène has become inseparable from his phone, and his friend Robin cannot understand what is happening to him. Then a rumor begins circulating online: since 2010, parents have supposedly been placing chips under their children’s skin to control them.

Robin is consumed by doubt. The rumor drives a wedge between the two friends and threatens to lead to dangerous behavior. The book ultimately brings journalists into the classroom, where they show the students how to detect fake news. Published by La Joie de lire, the 127-page novel is presented as a story firmly rooted in current concerns.

Someone who watches CNews from morning to night ends up being afraid of everything, in good faith.

· Guillaume Le BlancHe describes how continuous exposure to fear-focused media can affect viewers.
About this summary

Originally published by La Libre Belgique in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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