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I think "fake news" at least started as something a bit different - propaganda sure, but of a particular form, i.e. in the form of a fabricated news event propa
by rfrey 6y ago
I think "fake news" at least started as something a bit different - propaganda sure, but of a particular form, i.e. in the form of a fabricated news event propagated through media channels as if it were true.
- disgruntledphd2 6y agoThis is not a new thing. The yellow-press journalism of the US happened well over a century ago, and indeed you have papers which talk about Elvis and aliens, which would meet my definition of "fake news". The only thing that changed was the distribution method (i.e. over the internet/social media).
- rfrey 6y agoThat's true. There does seem to be some difference though - stories like Elvis Found Alive in Anchorage and Batboy Graduates with MBA were pretty much regarded as entertainment, whereas Clinton Eats Babies and Trump Videotaped Getting Peed On were received as true by large segments of both the population and the media that normally does not make up stories.
- boulos 6y agoAmerican intervention in Cuba due to newspapers absolutely fits the “most people believed it” criterion [1]: > American newspapers fanned the flames of interest in the war by fabricating atrocities which justified intervention in a number of Spanish colonies worldwide. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_of_the_Spanish–American_War https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_of_the_Spanish–Am...