“Big, if true” is a years-old meme used on Twitter to parody journalists who retweet unverified news reports or bombshell rumors accompanied by a noncommittal phrase. The meme makes a joke out of dull, dumb, or understated headlines: “Macauley Culkin dined out in Los Angeles today.” Big, if true. “Alex Jones says the Pentagon is […]
fake news
Posted inCommunity/News
A true history of fake news: Unicorns on the moon
Part two of two. Read part one: A true history of fake news: The many identities of Benjamin Franklin The 2016 U.S. presidential election season unleashed new anxieties about “fake news” and other slippery forms of propaganda that have been enabled by our newfangled social media. However, media manipulation has a long history — one […]
Posted inPrairie Pop
A true history of fake news: The many identities of Benjamin Franklin
Before the term “fake news” gained wide circulation during the 2016 presidential election season, deception had long been part of the U.S. media landscape. When Benjamin Franklin emerged as the publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette, he used it to plant ironic satires, partisan potshots and other false stories.
