Abstract

According to philosopher Anthony Cashio, radio possesses a power to create a deep and intimate connection between speakers and listeners, and therefore to forge strong communities. It is this power that makes radio a potent instrument both of populist propaganda, disinformation, conspirology and fear-mongering, on the one hand, and of public philosophy fostering critical and reflective capacities of its listeners, on the other. Following Cashio’s insight and drawing on Jason Stanley’s work propaganda, I will analyze one of the longest running philosophy themed radio shows in Serbia, “Gozba”, which airs every week on Radio Belgrade Channel 2 (RB2). By focusing on the way “Gozba” has covered two significant recent events – the COVID pandemic and the Ukrainian war, I will demonstrate that in dealing with these topics, the show undermines the philosophical ideals it claims to promote, and instead serves primarily as an instrument of spreading conspiracy theories, dangerous anti-science views, vaccine hesitancy, fake news and Russian war propaganda. Also, I will analyze the dangers of promoting such deeply anti-philosophical stances under the guise of philosophy and critical thinking. Keywords: philosophy, radio, propaganda, conspiracy theories

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