Fake News vs. “Foke” News: A Brief, Personal, Recent History

Abstract This brief essay outlines the forms of fake news that arose in the journalism world in recent decades and shows how they eroded the credibility of mainstream news sources and created an opening for alternative news, including, ironically, fake news—which also takes many forms. In an attempt to distinguish fake news that is meant to deceive from fake news that is meant to amuse, the term “foke” news is proposed.