Solzhenitsyn, History, and Social Media

Grandma used to say, don’t believe nothing you hear, and half what you see. History is an extraordinary and powerful way of knowing the world and developing insights about the limits of humanity. It is often wielded by journalists, online media influencers, and content creators to give credence to a particular goal or agenda. Unfortunately, the way in which media employs history is often based in guesswork rather than historical knowledge. As such, professional historians should feel an obligation to counter the media’s false narratives with research-based interpretations that help us get closer to the truth of things. Professional historians are also prone to use the past to promote an agenda, and when this happens, it is a betrayal of the historian’s craft.