Through new investigations and first-hand accounts, Conspiracy Nation takes readers to the rallies, homes, courtrooms, secret chat rooms and $2000 Byron Bay luxury retreats where Australia’s conspiracy theories spread.

‘There are microchips in vaccines’; ‘5G spreads Covid-19’; ‘the Australian government is hiding a list of powerful predators’ – Conspiracy Nation exposes the world of Australian conspiracy theories, their history, appeal and political influence. It’s easy to dismiss these as fringe concerns or imported concepts, but conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians, and being wielded by those in power.

In this boots-on-the ground report, journalists Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson meet the people dedicated to living and spreading these ideas, those who have been left reeling by their impact, and the ones who are fighting back.

From Port Arthur and QAnon, to the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers and ‘sovereign citizen’ gurus, to the delusions that inspired the Wieambilla murders, Wilson and Bogle show the devastating consequences of unchecked misinformation and radicalisation, and make a compelling case that by ignoring the growing threat of conspiratorial thinking, we put our community at risk.

About the Author

Ariel Bogle is an investigative reporter with a focus on technology, extremism and internet policy. An investigations reporter at the Guardian Australia, she has worked in media in Australia and the United States for more than 10 years. Previously, she was the ABC’s technology reporter, technology editor at The Conversation, associate editor at Mashable and associate editor with Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, New America and Arizona State University that explores how emerging technologies will change the way we live. Her reporting has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Australian Financial Review and Slate, among other outlets. Cam Wilson is a Walkley Award-nominated reporter whose work covers the intersection between internet culture, online extremism and politics. He’s currently Crikey’s Associate Editor, and previously worked at the ABC, BuzzFeed News, Business Insider and Gizmodo. He has been published in The Guardian, Slate, the Sydney Morning Herald and elsewhere.