Cross-partisan Conspiracy Theories: How Plandemic Fueled Vaccine Misinformation

On May 4, 2020, filmmaker Mikki Willis released a 26-min documentary-form video titled Plandemic on Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms. Plandemic is a rare conspiracy theory that circulated beyond partisan echo chambers and impacted the nation as it grappled with a momentous public health challenge. The video’s narrative of corporate-governmental collusion to monetize a crisis, suppress alternative treatments, and punish all dissenters found a warm reception by conspiracy theory communities across the political spectrum. This resonance sets Plandemic apart from many theories that fail to attract adherents on a cross-partisan basis and is troubling considering the video’s baseless attacks on necessary public health measures. In this essay, we theorize and explain the narrative contents of the video that contribute to its cross-partisan appeal. Through a rhetorical analysis of Plandemic, we demonstrate that the video builds cross-partisan resonance through ethos appeals and populist narratives. These findings help explain the appeal of a significant example of health misinformation and build an understanding of the qualities of resonant conspiracy theories.