A year of hate: what I learned when I went undercover with the far right

Infiltrating the British far-right, the author—using the alias Chris—spent over a year gathering insights about extremist groups. Engaging with nearly a dozen organizations, including Holocaust deniers and anti-vaccine activists, he aimed to not only report but deeply understand their motivations and dynamics. He discovered that individuals within these movements often mistrust journalists, viewing them as part of a larger conspiracy. This mistrust posed significant challenges in conducting his undercover research, highlighting the complexities of engaging with fringe groups and the human aspects driving their participation.

My aim was to gain intimate insights into the psyche of the far-right and its appeal, not merely report but understand the human elements involved.

The far-right often views reporters as pawns of a grand conspiracy; to break that barrier, I had to become one of them.

Read at www.theguardian.com