Post-truth and fake news in political communication: A brief genealogy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2019.may.14Keywords:
Post-truth, Fake news, Demagogy, Society, Human behavior, Political communication, Fact checking, Filter bubble, Social networking sites, Social media, Media, Facebook, Definitions, Concepts, Review.Abstract
The article exposes post-truth politics and fake news meaning, origin and precedents. Recent cases of both expressions are described and discussed. We offer and value the interpretations that have been given of these phenomena, around a double axis: those that demonstrate its continuity (as novel incarnations of demagogy, propaganda or disinformation) as opposed to those that emphasize its novelty, and those that put the accent on technology versus those that speak of a true epistemological transformation or discover the psychological motivations that subtend them. Finally, corrective measures are summarized and discussed: regulation or self-regulation of contents, fact-checking, monitoring of search algorithms and digital literacy programs.
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