Memorial Hall Library

Not exactly lying, fake news and fake journalism in American history, Andie Tucher

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Not exactly lying

bibliography

1251499652

Andie Tucher

fake news and fake journalism in American history

"Long before the current preoccupation with "fake news," American newspapers routinely ran stories that were not quite, strictly speaking, true. Today, a firm boundary between fact and fakery is a hallmark of journalistic practice, yet for many readers and publishers across more than three centuries, this distinction has seemed slippery or even irrelevant. From fibs in America's first newspaper about royal incest to social media-driven conspiracy theories about Barack Obama's birthplace, Andie Tucher explores how American audiences have argued over what's real and what's not and why that matters for democracy. Early American journalism was characterized by a hodgepodge of straightforward reporting, partisan broadsides, humbug, tall tales, and embellishment. Around the start of the twentieth century, journalists who were determined to improve the reputation of their craft established professional norms and the goal of objectivity. However, Tucher argues, the creation of outward forms of factuality unleashed new opportunities for falsehood: News doesn't have to be true as long as it looks true. Propaganda, disinformation, and advocacy-whether in print, on the radio, on television, or online-could be crafted to resemble the real thing. Dressed up in legitimate journalistic conventions, this "fake journalism" became inextricably bound up with right-wing politics, to the point where it has become an essential driver of political polarization. Shedding light on the long history of today's disputes over disinformation, this book is a timely consideration of what happens to public life when news is not exactly true"--, Provided by publisher

Introduction -- "False reports, maliciously made" -- "Important if true" -- "Not exactly lying" -- "I believe in faking" -- "We did not call it propaganda" -- "Nothing that is not interesting is news" -- "Why don't you guys tell the truth once in a while?" -- "So goddamn objective" -- "The bastards are making it up!" -- "Fake but accurate" -- Conclusion : "a degenerate and perverted monstrosity."