Writing Assignment: Simulacra, Fake News, and Conspiracies Overview: This assignment asks you to connect James Morris’s article, Simulacra in the Age of Social Media: Baudrillard as the Prophet of Fak

Reading Guide: Simulacra in the Age of Social Media + Conspiracy Chart (2021)

1. The Big Picture

Morris (2020) explores how misinformation and conspiracy theories spread, and how they relate to broader patterns in media.
Jean Baudrillard’s idea of simulacra helps explain why information that may not be fact-based can still seem convincing.
The Conspiracy Chart (2021) organizes conspiracy theories from those rooted in historical events to those with little or no connection to evidence.

Think about how both the article and the chart are asking similar questions: How do we tell the difference between evidence-based information and claims that feel persuasive but aren’t supported by evidence?

2. Baudrillard’s 4 Stages of the Image

Baudrillard described four stages of media representation:

Reflects reality (e.g., a photo of an event).
Distorts reality (e.g., a biased summary).
Suggests reality exists when it does not (e.g., a rumor).
Pure simulacrum: no relation to reality at all (e.g., stories completely detached from evidence).

Using the Conspiracy Chart, pick one example and decide which stage of Baudrillard’s model it best represents.

3. Why People Share Information Online

Morris notes that people often share information for reasons other than accuracy:

To connect with others who think similarly.
To provoke an emotional reaction.
To entertain or gain attention.

Look at the Conspiracy Chart. Which examples seem designed to provoke emotion? Which are about politics or power? Which are more about curiosity or entertainment?

4. Hyperreality and Conspiracy Thinking

Hyperreality means information can feel “more real than real” when it resonates with people’s beliefs or emotions.
Conspiracy theories often work this way, simplify complicated issues into stories that feel satisfying, even without strong evidence.

How does one example from the chart illustrate this idea?

5. The Role of Social Media

Social media platforms promote what gets likes, shares, and views, not necessarily what’s most accurate.
This makes emotionally powerful or dramatic content more visible than calm, evidence-based information.

Which conspiracies on the chart are most likely to spread quickly online? Why?

6. When Reality Pushes Back

Morris points out that sometimes events themselves challenge misinformation, for example, large-scale crises that are hard to ignore.
But even then, competing stories can emerge to explain those events.

Which examples on the chart show how people respond differently to the same event?

Takeaways

Baudrillard’s theory helps explain why certain claims feel convincing even without evidence.
The Conspiracy Chart shows a spectrum from evidence-based claims to those disconnected from reality.
Social media rewards engagement, not necessarily accuracy.
Thinking critically means asking: What evidence supports this claim, and how is it being used?