What exactly is 'fake news'

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Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often with sensationalist, exaggerated, or patently false headlines that grab attention. Intentionally misleading and deceptive fake news is different from obvious satire or parody which is intended to humor rather than mislead its audience. Fake news often employs eye-catching headlines or entirely fabricated news stories to increase readership, online sharing and Internet click revenue.
 
a means for the far right to disembed the term propaganda from its sinister history, meaning they can say whatever they want and only be accused of circulating 'fake news'. Something that doesnt hold any hugely negative connotations due to its recent conception and can be easily forgotten. If the left also 'benefit' from the disembedding then that doesnt really bother them, as they are aware that far right arguments are usually devoid of deep concept and considerably easier to understand than the traditionally theoretical arguments of the left/centre/traditional right, ensuring that their 'fake news' stories will stick at a higher and more devastating ratio than the lefts retorts. Introducing the phrase is ultimately just a tactic that allows for the purging of the historical meaning of propaganda. And it has worked incredibly. All very Orwellian.
 
There's a cottage industry of individuals who make a very good living writing bullshit articles that sound like they could be plausible. Some conspiracy theories suggest it's sponsored by foreign states, that is possible I suppose but individuals still make a killing from it.

They've been around for years, often they are unverifiable articles about North Korea (e.g that one about all male north Koreans needing to get the same hairstyle as fatty Kim).

There was an unusual amount during the US election. It was mainly the stuff about Trump that gained shares and clicks which in turn meant more Trump stuff got written (as the writer lured more people in with Trump articles).

The phrase made the mainstream after a Trump Twitter rant about fake news got mainstream media coverage.

I don't know if the news he was grumbling about was fake or not.

It now seems to be a catch all term for some individuals to wave away legitimate reporting they don't agree with.

I believe that covers it, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Stumbled on this, could be an interesting read.
 
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