On a background of misinfo tweets, William S. Burroughs wears a blue suit and a skeptical look, under the headline, "Is there a cure for the virus that is fake news?"
Slug Slime

Reaching Herd Immunity in a Sea of Fake News

3 min read
William S. Burroughs recognized language as having a viral pattern of transmission in the 1970s, and the concepts he wrote about inspired many artists and thought leaders to explore the topic further as "fake news" has become more readily accessible to the average person.

Created for UC Santa Cruz Creative Technologies course Digital Platforms: Observations and Practices (CT 100), Project 1: "A Sea of Data," with Prof. Claudio Bueno.

Prompted by the first project scope Prof. Bueno presented to our cohort—to create a video montage based on the prompt "A Sea of Data"—my inspiration came in large part from Edward R. Murrow's fierce stance against McCarthyism in the 1950s, in addition to Sebastião Salgado's humanitarian-focused photojournalistic work. In particular for this avenue of exploration, I ruminated on Salgado's documentation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which began in 1988 and later culminated in his 2003 book, The End of Polio: A Global Effort to Eradicate a Disease.

I was interested in utilizing this video montage project to inquire further into the impact of misinformation ('fake news') and its correlation to the distrust and snake-oil salesman techniques that have amplified the anti-vax movement, more formally referred to as vaccine hesitancy. Both of these issues have extensive histories, though they have gained more significant influence through American public health policy, neoliberal economic incentives, and the capacity for self-publication on digital platforms over the last fifty years. This has resulted in a widespread impact on the contemporary experiences of most people living in the United States.

"Herd Immunity for Fake News," 17 April 2025 (YouTube).

Previously, self-published misinformation campaigns had to be distributed by hand via pamphlets and photocopied booklets. Digital information spreads fast, and as people gain followers, their ideas become "truthier"—even if they do not have a factual basis.

The online Sea of Data has become overwhelming as the Internet has exploded in capacity and algorithmic control over our attention, directly impacting how we consume information and deem sources credible. Today, it seems incredibly difficult for many Americans, generationally harmed by inequities and with an understandable distrust in government, medical professionals, and the media writ large, to process information and decide what to believe.

People need to see rational, credible ideas shared by individuals similar to themselves, not just academics, government, and media professionals.

When this representation is unavailable, misinformation can spread even more easily, much like disease does when communities are not adequately vaccinated. We need to develop herd immunity against misinformation, and I'm curious how we might make this happen.

While the 'talking heads' that I chose to use in this video are themselves categorically straight-presenting, white, educated men—with the exception of avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson—this only goes to illustrate the problem of an existing lack of diverse representation. I hope this video montage will help others develop their own curious and desirous stance, leading them to explore the truth value, credibility standards, and humanitarian impact of their language and decision-making process, within their own hearts and on their communities, as I have begun to do in mine.

Media Sampled

in order of first appearance

"Willam S. Burroughs on SNL", 2019 by  @bighollywoodproducer 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTl6xVMbJ6Y

"Cut-Ups William S. Burroughs", 2011, by ​ @QUEDEAR 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc2yU7OUMcI

"William Burroughs, The Word Is an Organism", 2016, by ​ @Kunstradio 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNxLuC5A5Mg

"Disinformation Abounds in the Wellness Community. How One Anti-Vax Influencer Broke Free", 2022, by  @PBSNewsHour 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDn77Qykgy4

"Could You Patent the Sun?", 2013, by  @GLBLCTZN 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erHXKP386Nk

"The Vaccine for Fake News, 2021",  @cambridgeuniversity 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqt7B857ooM

"Kurt Andersen: A 7 Min History of American Fake News (Telling the Truth Journalism Symposium)", 2017 , by  @NYSWritersInstitute 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD4QdTBxuHM

"Researching the Spread of Fake News and Its Impact", 2018,  @CBCTheNational 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5iBW2KGZfQ

"WORD IS VIRUS - WILLIAM S BURROUGHS and GUS VAN SANT", 2014, by  @cakeworm1200 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqukFWVCt04

"Is Language a Virus?", 2011, by  @ArtistictheotherAI 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-kzRSQZZ1w

"Laurie Anderson - Language Is a Virus (Official Music Video)", 2024, by  @nonesuchrecords 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eTSL2kopP4

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