Kerby Anderson
Yesterday, I talked about some of the tests Glenn Beck proposes in his new book Propaganda Wars. The first three are the “liar-liar test,” the “what is a woman test,” and the “egg-throwing gorilla test.” If you don’t know what those are, you might consult the transcript for yesterday’s commentary.
His fourth test is the “bias test.” People and institutions are more likely to cite facts that support their ideological or religious views. If a secular, liberal news source reports something favorable to conservatives or Christians, it is likely to be true.
The fifth test he calls the “bloodthirsty tyrant test.” If someone supports or calls for violence, you should not trust the information. The mainstream media has frequently downplayed the violence and threats from Antifa. He argues that if you think your cause is so righteous it justifies burning cities down then you shouldn’t trust that source.
Another test is the “original source test.” This test is more difficult because you shouldn’t always take at face value a statement that isn’t a firsthand account. It takes time and patience to find an original source. Glenn Beck devotes a few pages to show how the false story of 500 people who died in a hospital in Gaza was repeated verbatim by multiple outlets.
A final test is the “crazy uncle test.” Along with Christmas carols and Thanksgiving turkeys, one American holiday tradition is getting trapped in a completely absurd conversation with a crazy uncle. Glenn Beck suggests we treat the entire social media industry as though it is a crazy uncle.
You will need wisdom and a degree of skepticism to navigate the propaganda wars in the 21st century.

Kerby Anderson
Propaganda Wars is the newest book by Glenn Beck. His opening chapter has a “Welcome to Clown World” section that will cause most readers to shake their heads and roll their eyes. His chapter on “The Propaganda Industrial Complex” is a warning for all of us to use discernment when using media. His later chapters address the problem of deepfakes and various other forms of deception.
One chapter that will be helpful to you is how to discover and uncover truth. He is often asked: how do I know who to trust? He provides seven simple tests that I will discuss today and tomorrow.
The first test he calls the “liar-liar test.” Put simply, if the media lied to you before, you should evaluate them with a higher level of scrutiny going forward. One example occurred in 2020 when multiple media outlets and 51 current and former government officials knowingly lied about the authenticity of the Hunter Biden laptop.
The second test he calls the “what is a woman test.” When an expert says something that is obviously wrong on an issue, you shouldn’t trust him or her on other topics. Reasonable people can disagree on many topics, but you don’t need to trust an expert without basic common sense.
He calls the third test the “egg-throwing gorilla test” which is a reference to clown world. When Larry Elder (who is black) ran for California Governor in 2021, he was attacked as being racist. One L.A. Times reporter claimed Elder had white supremacist worldview. A woman even went to one of Elder’s rallies wearing a gorilla mask and threw eggs at him.
As I often say on radio, look for trustworthy sources and view with great skepticism media that doesn’t have a good track record of honest reporting and commentary.