Looking at the term "conspiracy theorist" (not theory, but theorist) the first newspaper that used that phrase was in 1973. HOWEVER, the source I used (wish I could find it) didn't have that many total clippings. It was like 8 data points in 73, 8(ish) in 74, 10(ish) in 75, and increased from there.
"conspiracy theory" went back further, with basically no instances in the 40s/50s but some in the 30s, and after the Fed, then again after JFK, etc. Looking at older instances though it wasn't a weapon, but rather a statement of an actual theory of a conspiracy (from the papers I looked at). I will find it damnit. It was really interesting data.
"conspiracy theory" went back further, with basically no instances in the 40s/50s but some in the 30s, and after the Fed, then again after JFK, etc.
1967 rings a bell. That was when CIA issued a "suggestion" to Mockingbird Media.
If it was used in the 1930's, I wonder if there were rumblings about either the Federal Reserve/Income Tax/Titanic, or if it was WWI or gold confiscation.
It was 1967 when that report I linked to was released, but the phrase "conspiracy theorist" didn't show up in the media (according to the small dataset I looked at) until 1973. It is "conspiracy theory" that showed up before that. Note the difference. One is a theory, about a conspiracy. The other is targeted at a person. YOU can be a conspiracy theorist but you can't be a conspiracy theory.
In the old newspapers I looked at it wasn't a weapon, it was just a term like you would use now, like "cooking recipe" or whatever. As for the specific conspiracies I don't remember. If I think about it tomorrow I will make an effort to find the links.
Looking at the term "conspiracy theorist" (not theory, but theorist) the first newspaper that used that phrase was in 1973. HOWEVER, the source I used (wish I could find it) didn't have that many total clippings. It was like 8 data points in 73, 8(ish) in 74, 10(ish) in 75, and increased from there.
"conspiracy theory" went back further, with basically no instances in the 40s/50s but some in the 30s, and after the Fed, then again after JFK, etc. Looking at older instances though it wasn't a weapon, but rather a statement of an actual theory of a conspiracy (from the papers I looked at). I will find it damnit. It was really interesting data.
1967 rings a bell. That was when CIA issued a "suggestion" to Mockingbird Media.
If it was used in the 1930's, I wonder if there were rumblings about either the Federal Reserve/Income Tax/Titanic, or if it was WWI or gold confiscation.
It was 1967 when that report I linked to was released, but the phrase "conspiracy theorist" didn't show up in the media (according to the small dataset I looked at) until 1973. It is "conspiracy theory" that showed up before that. Note the difference. One is a theory, about a conspiracy. The other is targeted at a person. YOU can be a conspiracy theorist but you can't be a conspiracy theory.
In the old newspapers I looked at it wasn't a weapon, it was just a term like you would use now, like "cooking recipe" or whatever. As for the specific conspiracies I don't remember. If I think about it tomorrow I will make an effort to find the links.