Roots of Fake News

Brian Winston is the Lincoln Professor at the University of Lincoln (UK). He is the author of A Right to Offend, The Rushdie Fatwa and After and also writes on documentary film and media technology. He was the founding director of the Glasgow University Media Group.Matthew Winston is the author of Gonzo Text: Disentangling Meaning in Hunter S. Thompson’s Journalism . He teaches in the School of Media, Communication and Sociology at the University of Leicester.

• Crisis? Foreword: Roots, Fakery & Objectivity. Roots. 1. ‘Strange Newes’: Printed News 1485 ---- 2. ‘Newes’: The Coming Of The Newspaper 1600----3. ‘Booming A Newspaper’: Newspapers And News-Media 1800---- 4. ‘Oh The Humanity!’: Broadcast News 1900. 5 . Online: Digital Newspapers 1980---- 6. ‘Info Wars’: News Platforms 2000----Objecting To Objectivity. 7. Fact: ‘Hard’ Science 8. Fact: ‘Thick’ Descriptions 9. Judgement: The Legal Mindset. 10 Judgement: The Fine Print. 11. Truth: The Philosophical Approach. 12. Truth: Moral Philosophy. The Fourth Estate . 13. Shouting Fire On A Crowded Website. 14. Speaking Truth To Power. Index

'This long-overdue study by the Winston father and son duo finally elevates the fake news debate to a completely new, high level, taking in its historical, philosophical, legalistic, scientific and ethical dimensions – and much more. Writing with panache and wit, the authors create a text for all teachers, students and members of the public seeking a reliable – and still challenging – guide through the fake news jungle.' - Richard Lance Keeble, Professor of Journalism, University of Lincoln 'This book comes at an optimal time, providing the kind of cultural and contextual history missing from a lot of the debates around fake news. Offering countervailing perspectives, The Roots of Fake News allows the audience to see how what is taken for granted about journalistic practice and epistemology invites bad actors to exploit often ignored vulnerabilities.' - Brian Creech, Associate Professor of Journalism at the School of Media and Communication at Temple University"This is without question the most enlightening press history I have ever read. The research is deeper and more precise in every historical period than the standard literature has demonstrated. The narrative includes period language and authentic primary sources with stunning liveliness. The book is a diamond from our field for the humanities, demonstrating communication scholarship of excellence." - Dr Clifford Christians, Research Professor Emeritus of Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.