A number of new terms such as “post-factual”, “fake news” and "post-truth” have been proposed to describe the carelessness with which users of different media deal with matters of fact in our information-saturated society. One recent example is Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway defending the false description of the attendance at Trump’s inauguration, by claiming the falsehood as an “alternative fact”, or Rudy Giuliani flatly stating that “truth isn’t truth”. Combined with the efforts of private companies and pressure groups to control and manipulate information so it will suit their interests, a “reality” emerges where truth seems bendable. Lies can be true if you repeat them long enough, and saying “I don’t believe it” has apparently become a fact to question all facts but itself. Why has it come to this?
Actually, this is nothing new...
Get the volume (Academic Quarter: Volume 17 2018): For Real?
Editors:
Bent Sørensen, Aalborg University
Bo Allesøe, Aalborg University
Ole Ertløv Hansen, Aalborg University
Jørn Bjerre, Aarhus University
