The Yellow Journalism age of the US in the late 1800s was another era of patently fake news, sensationalized simply to sell more papers, protect reputations, or to build reputations. ("Puff Graham")
Fake news has been with us a long time. I can point to a very early example. Certainly the worst:
While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, "Tell people, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. (Matthew 28:11-15).
Fake news has been with us since forever. It has certainly been useful to the lost, greedy, and craven. Isn't it wonderful to know that there is one source to which you can go that will always be reporting the truth?
