Filipino President Duterte Has a Social Media Army

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The global reach of social media has helped disseminate fake news, bolster troll dissenters, and provide some politicians with the illusion of mass support. It's a tactic that Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte appears to favor — he's allegedly employed a literal social media army to flood Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms with attacks on critics and posts pushing pro-Duterte sentiment.

Journalist Sean Williams says he was on the receiving end of Duterte's keyboard army. He joins The Takeaway to discuss his latest report, entitled "Duterte's Army of Online Trolls," which appears is this month's issue of The New Republic. Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full conversation.