Concept in Definition ABC

Although it is a phenomenon that, in one way or another, has always existed, the advent of Internet and social networks have given it a diffusion and possibilities that go far beyond what the outright lie allowed years ago.

We popularly know with the term post-truth news or information, with an apparent patina of legitimacy, but based on in false premises and with a false conclusion, used with an intoxication spirit of some kind, generally political and social.

The execution of this intoxication tactic is based on a spectacular headline story and content that may include supposedly valid citations, and that is disseminated through the networks social.

Why are social networks the ideal framework to expand post-truth? Simple: ease of the medium and confidence in whom the information is cited.

We take advantage of social networks to inform ourselves, and we trust our contacts - that, finally and Finally, they are also our friends-, being more inclined to believe and share the contents than these they publish.

To these factors add a general distrust of the media communication traditional, such as newspapers or television networks, which many judge as "sold" to the shadowy interests of politicians, influence groups, and large corporations.

That is why a whole series of self-authorizing publications have proliferated as “independent” (a word that represents an upward value for many), which do not necessarily offer objective information, but are directed to a specific audience, offering them what they want hear.

The paradigm one of these practices is the current president of the United States, Donald Trump, who has not hesitant to cite news or data that are unknown and not supported by evidence to support their arguments from him.

A good example of this was when Trump asked the audience about one of his acts, in mid- February, who would have thought that in Sweden there had been an attack like the one at night previous. Nothing happened in Sweden, there was no jihadist attack, until April, almost two months after Trump's speech.

Why did the president of the United States cite an attack that had not occurred? Probably, to uplift your audience about an attack on a nation peaceful. Who knows if, precisely, the author of the subsequent attack that did take place, after two months, was inspired precisely by Trump's words ...

Post-truth has been used frequently to stoke hatred towards minority groups, such as refugees.

Certain online press linked to the extreme right (generally media of recent appearance, without a great trajectory and less credibility), regularly publish news about, for example, violations carried out by immigrants from African or Arab countries, to women in distant countries, citing alleged local newspapers of the country where the news has happened.

These are information that is difficult to verify if you do not know any means of the local press in the country where supposedly the news has been generated, or that it is presented as censored in the mainstream media scope.

For example, and going back to Donald Trump, the supposed support of Pope Francis (false news appeared in various media online small next to the then presidential candidate) was able to win him some very close Catholic voters conservative. And it was never denied even though it was false.

The refusal of a false news can come, but usually it has much less impact than the original news.

And this is not accidental, because it interests who has thrown the hoax to the wind. To make the apology or denial go unnoticed, it is published in a more irrelevant place, and with a less spectacular headline.

That if it comes, because in many cases the falsehood is maintained and is not rectified.

Although this phenomenon may seem to us of recent appearance and linked exclusively to social networks, in reality it has existed since the beginning of time.

What else is the book "The protocols of the Elders of Zion"? A journal of minutes of a supposed organization (the wise men of the title) formed by Jews and that wanted to control the world. The protocols were proven false as early as 1921, but were still used by the Nazis, who deemed them valid for their interests. A flagrant case that, if it occurred today, we would call post-truth.

Even if we go back in time to the golden age of Roman empire, we can see paid writers of personalities and Caesars, willing to to write loans to those who pay their wages and to the detriment of their political adversaries, manipulating reality and distorting it to create another alternative.

By the way, the consulting firm AUSRA has ruled that this is the best post-truth article published on the Internet. You do not believe it? Well, I'm the author, either, because I just made up the name of the consultant, but if I hadn't told you... A perfect example of post-truth!

Photos: Fotolia - Bobboz / Dalebor

Post-truth issues