Proving that fake news did not emerge in the 2016 US presidential election using historical perspectives

Abstract

This long essay shall take a look at an issue that has become a phenomenon in journalism and current affairs over the past couple of years, from a historical perspective. Using three examples from history, this essay will attempt to resolve two issues when discussing the notion of fake news. These are the origin of fake news and the consequences that fake news can have. To this end, the long essay is planned to be split in three chapters, with each chapter dedicated to one fake news story. The first deals with common hoaxes and false stories written in Britain between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, the second discusses a false story concocted by Britain against Germany in the First World War, and the third discusses a still-open wound to many football fans in England, that of the unethical and deceitful reportage by some tabloids in the aftermath of a sporting tragedy. While each chapter contains an element of discussion, the essay opens by asking two issues that this essay is dealing with, while the answer in greater depth to the questions posed occurs towards the end of the essay. The choice of topic for this long essay is of particular importance as more and more people are becoming aware of how everything they see, hear and read might not be intended to be a simple ‘reporting of facts’ but more an exercise in pushing a hidden agenda in favour or against something or someone. It is also crucial because today, anything (including fake news stories) can easily be spread and shared via the internet and social media.