008 The Tobacco Playbook

DDK Pod Episode 8 – Merry Christmas one and all. It’s DDK Pod! The gift that everyone wants to find under the tree this year. This week we talk about the Tobacco industry playbook (sometimes called the disinformation playbook), the principles of which are as relevant to the issues of today as they were to Tobacco in the 1950s. Every day companies and powerful individuals in the tech industry and beyond attempt to alter the narrative. From the science of climate change, to the alternative facts of the Trump presidential term. We discuss how the playbook worked for 40 years and ultimately, fell apart under the weight of litigation. We also discuss how these tools and techniques, unethical though they may be, are still in common use today and how effective they are in a Covid-19 afflicted world. Also covered is our pick of the IT industry news (and a story about an Elephant!) and a few recommendations for our listeners. Timecodes: 00:52 - The News 08:41 – The Tobacco Playbook 29:48 - DDK Recommends Stuff 35:25 - Get in touch