Fake News
(Small book, big idea)
(Author) Chris Stokel-Walker60 bite-size essays in a small, timely illustrated book on the evolution of rumors, conspiracy theories, and misinformation from ancient Greece to the present. Anyone can go online, write something about what’s going on the world, and share it with potentially millions of people. We are living in an era of radically democratized information. And it’s a threat to democracy itself. Social media has made it easier than ever to spread falsehoods, amplified by its echo chambers and algorithms, and latched onto by politicians looking for convenient narratives. But fake news has a surprisingly long history. This book traces its evolution through rumor, conspiracy and misinformation, Ancient Greece to Donald Trump and beyond. It explores the origins of confirmation bias, some of the earliest instances of mass media manipulation, the deployment of fake news during war and the significance of the internet age, ultimately asking the question: how do we make sense of this post-truth world?
Chris Stokel-Walker
Chris Stokel-Walker is a British journalist and author known for his investigative work in the field of internet culture. His most famous work, "YouTubers: How YouTube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars," explores the rise of online influencers and their impact on modern media. His writing style is engaging and insightful, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and culture. Stokel-Walker's key contribution to literature lies in his ability to shed light on emerging trends and phenomena shaping our digital world.
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