Is fake news old news?

Catarina Dutilh Novaes; Jeroen de Ridder

doi:10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0008

Is fake news old news?

Catarina Dutilh Novaes, Jeroen de Ridder

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Abstract

Do we live in a post-truth era where fake news and alternative facts run rampant? This suggestion has become a staple of recent non-fiction writing. Others disagree and suggest that contemporary fake news is really nothing new. This chapter examines what, if anything, is novel about contemporary fake news. After clarifying the meaning of fake news for the present purposes, the chapter presents three models of manipulation of public opinion and argues that they are recognizable throughout history. Next, the chapter looks at various features of contemporary fake news that could account for its novelty. Based on a survey of historical and empirical evidence, it is proposed that the novelty of contemporary fake news primarily lies in how the Internet and social media have changed the ways in which (fake) news can be distributed and consumed.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Epistemology of Fake News
Editors	Sven Bernecker, Amy K. Flowerree, Thomas Grundmann
Publisher	The Oxford University Press
Chapter	7
Pages	156-179
Number of pages	24
ISBN (Electronic)	9780191896255, 9780192609410
ISBN (Print)	9780198863977
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0008
Publication status	Published - 2021

Publication series

Name	Engaging Philosophy
Publisher	Oxford UP

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Oxford University Press 2021.

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	771074

Keywords

Deliberative democracy
Fake news
Information warfare
Internet
Propaganda
Social media

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0008

Is_Fake_News_Old_NewsFinal published version, 141 KBLicence: Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act

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Cite this

@inbook{4a3243c5cc754b4386cf1f7562dec20c,

title = "Is fake news old news?",

abstract = "Do we live in a post-truth era where fake news and alternative facts run rampant? This suggestion has become a staple of recent non-fiction writing. Others disagree and suggest that contemporary fake news is really nothing new. This chapter examines what, if anything, is novel about contemporary fake news. After clarifying the meaning of fake news for the present purposes, the chapter presents three models of manipulation of public opinion and argues that they are recognizable throughout history. Next, the chapter looks at various features of contemporary fake news that could account for its novelty. Based on a survey of historical and empirical evidence, it is proposed that the novelty of contemporary fake news primarily lies in how the Internet and social media have changed the ways in which (fake) news can be distributed and consumed.",

keywords = "Deliberative democracy, Fake news, Information warfare, Internet, Propaganda, Social media",

author = "Novaes, {Catarina Dutilh} and {de Ridder}, Jeroen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Oxford University Press 2021.",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0008",

language = "English",

isbn = "9780198863977",

series = "Engaging Philosophy",

publisher = "The Oxford University Press",

pages = "156--179",