Abstract
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
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