Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

Why are people finding answers in QAnon?

A person holds a "Q" sign standing for "QAnon."
Guests cheer for President Donald Trump as he speaks at a rally to show support for Ohio Republican congressional candidate Troy Balderson in Lewis Center, Ohio.
Scott Olson | Getty Images 2018

The QAnon conspiracy theory, which began with cryptic postings on Internet message boards from a self-proclaimed government insider identified as Q, has grown at a dizzying pace.

Despite recent attempts by Facebook and Twitter to ban QAnon content, adherents continue to multiply. Dozens of them are running for Congress this fall.

Why is QAnon viral? And why are people — including a large number of evangelical Christians — falling for it?

Thursday at 9 a.m., MPR News host Kerri Miller talked with technology and disinformation experts about why this particular conspiracy theory is the right thing, at the right time. 

Guests:

Rachel Greenspan is a digital culture journalist for Insider, covering QAnon and other online disinformation campaigns. 

Jason Thacker is the chair of research in technology ethics at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.