Activity Overview

The goal of this exercise is to collectively identify the “tools” used by conspiracists (revealing a “mystery,” rhetoric, detailed analysis), as well as to highlight the audiovisual techniques used in conspiratorial videos (scary music, robotic voice, biased editing, symbol analysis, etc.).

It is recommended to pre-select a video containing clear and identifiable conspiratorial elements and arguments to make the exercise more accessible.

Here are some elements to identify in the video:

1 – A frightening atmosphere: often includes a robotic or mysterious voice accompanied by scary music (like a horror movie ambiance).

2 – Special effects: visual effects such as drawings, photo edits, or morphing (transforming a face) can summarize the theory and make it memorable.

3 – Strong structure and video editing: the video usually follows a certain logic, for example starting with historical context to give a scientific dimension. Editing (sequence of images) also plays an important role.

4 – Quotes from articles or statements: phrases are taken out of context from articles, reports, or individuals (politicians, scientists, etc.) to support the argument.

5 – Truthful elements that surprise: these are real facts or images, like unusual cat behavior, used to support the narrative without decontextualization.

6 – Uncertain or false elements: pseudo-evidence, invented or unverified facts strengthen the “layered argumentative” effect.

Activity Procedure

1. Before the exercise, identify a conspiratorial video on a current topic or specific issue (attacks, New World Order, epidemics, etc.)

2. Room setup: Arrange participants facing the board or screen and play the video using a projector. Instruct participants to note elements used to convince viewers and identify the main message of the video (tools, video format, content).

3. Note-taking: Participants take notes during the video to record their observations and impressions.

4. Collective debrief: Ask participants what elements they noticed and provide additional points they may have missed. Expand the discussion to videos they typically see online: Have they seen similar videos? On which topics? Were they convinced? Did the video target a specific community, portraying an “enemy”? (Politicians? Banks? etc.)

Adapting the Activity Online

  1. This exercise can also be conducted remotely. Facilitators send the conspiratorial video or link by email before the session.
  2. Facilitators send the Zoom (or another platform) link for the session.
  3. Participants can work remotely using Google Drive, Framapad, etc., to note key elements.
  4. The debrief is conducted via the video conferencing platform. Facilitators can use an online “post-it” tool to recreate a board effect (e.g., https://note.ly/) and record participants’ observations before leading the discussion.