Alternative Credibility, Phenomenological Empathy, and the Plandemic: Trust in Consipiracy Theories During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Plandemic: The Hidden Agenda behind COVID-19 is a twenty-six-minute film that went viral during the spring of 2020. The film invited controversy for sowing doubt in the official account of the COVID-19 pandemic by presenting an alternate perspective on several key issues such as masking, vaccines, and COVID-19 control measures. The film also vilified public health institutions and officials like Antony Fauci, among others. This paper aims to evaluate how conspiracy theories like the Plandemic find fertile ground during moments of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this the paper has two aims: (i) highlight the crucial role played by ‘alternative credibility’ and ‘empathy’ in garnering trust; (ii) identify how both concepts operate in the opening segment of the Plandemic, when the film’s protagonist Judy Mikovits is introduced in a manner that commentators claim played a crucial role in gaining the audience’s trust.

Keywords

• Trust
• Conspiracy Theories
• COVID-19 Pandemic
• Credibility