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 | |
| 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 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
-
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Keywords
- Deliberative democracy
- Fake news
- Information warfare
- Internet
- Propaganda
- Social media
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Is fake news old news?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver