Research originally developed in the 1970s to make television and mass media
advertising more effective has involved into a contemporary system of
propaganda manipulation. Agents use social media to convince people that
fake news is a valid reason for people to act and to vote. While the Russian
manipulation of the U.S. presidential election in 2016 has received the most
attention, people are being manipulated around the world. These manipulations
undermine democratic governments, which require an informed, voting public.
This paper outlines the theories behind the manipulation of social media and
the conditions under which these efforts are most likely to work.