The Post-Truth Era
Years ago, the possibility was raised that we would face a major threat in the future: fake news. This concept gave rise to the term ‘post-truth’, coined by Steve Tesich in 1992. Tesich spoke of the ‘Watergate syndrome’, which generated discomfort in the face of difficult-to-manage truths, distancing us from the truth and associating it with bad news. In 2016, Oxford University named ‘post-truth’ the word of the year, defining it as circumstances in which objective facts have less influence on the formation of public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. This era of post-truth has generated brutal polarization in society.
The Battle against Fake News
In these times, it is crucial to address the issue of fake news. While misleading news has always existed, its presence has intensified with the arrival of the Internet. Fake news is deliberately false information with the aim of confusing the truth. Journalism, which should serve as a tool for discernment, is also affected by post-truth and fake news, since the media, in many cases, succumb to financing in exchange for disguising data, ignoring realities and generating stories.
The Role of Fact-Checkers
Fact-checking companies, which should ensure that facts are compared and provide sources and evidence, have been involved in scandals with obvious conflicts of interest. Instead of providing data for the reader to draw their own conclusions, they have become a political tool in the post-truth battle. These verification platforms often agree that they are ‘preachers of the woke doctrine’, which raises questions about their impartiality.
Information Manipulation
Misinformation, the manipulation of our feelings, opinions and even philias and phobias, has become the main objective of communication teams in political offices and large companies. Propaganda, part of this misinformation, abounds in mainstream media and political speeches. It is ironic that the main producers of fake news worry about pursuing them.
The Fight for the Truth
The search for truth has been a human objective since time immemorial. However, in the post-truth era, the battle for truth is hindered by political and economic interests. Consistency and honesty are essential to verify what is true, and it is crucial that society questions the information it receives.