Josie Fleischel | 2026 I.S. Symposium

Name: Josie Fleischel
Title: If Man is Five, Then the Devil is Six: An Analysis of New Media Technology Influence on the Sustenance of the Satanic Panic
Major: Global Media & Digital Studies
Advisor: Sasha Allgayer

This Independent Study analyzes how new media developments influenced the sustenance of the Satanic Panic in the United States. Through media ecology and rhetorical criticism frameworks, this research identifies the shift in language used to describe the Satanic Ritual Abuse moral panic throughout two prominent periods: the 1980s and the 2010s. Both decades are marked by significant new media innovations, resurgences of American conservatism, and moral panic. The analysis portion of this Independent Study compares rhetorical elements of media artifacts from each era in tandem with the technological capabilities of each medium and political atmosphere of the time. The findings of this research conclude that changing attitudes towards traditional media structures and increased ability to publish content allows the Satanic Panic to continue, but to evolve as well. This Independent Study underscores the importance of analyzing rapidly changing media ecosystems, and their influence on misinformation’s ability to thrive. The visual artifacts from this study were consolidated into a website, which can be found via this link: https://arcg.is/10vm5C2

Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.