Fake news functions as a rallying cry delegitimizing the press, not as a theory.

Evidence

Fake news conspiracism is not a theory—it is a rallying cry. The mainstream media in Trump’s characterization is “the opposition party” and, worse, the “enemy of the people.” Here, too, rage and repetition are key to delegitimation: “I’m making this presentation directly to the American people.… The press, honestly, is out of control.… I watch CNN. It’s so much anger and hatred.… The public gets it.… They start screaming at CNN.” The next day the president tweeted, “The FAKE NEWS media (failing@nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy. It is the enemy of the American People.” At a South Carolina rally, he singled out the reporters covering his event: “These people back here are the worst.… They are so dishonest.… Absolute scum. Remember that. Scum. Scum. Totally dishonest people.” At a subsequent rally, Trump again raised the specter of violence, proclaiming that he would not execute reporters: “I hate some of these people, I hate ’em,” Trump said. “But I would never kill them.… Uh, let’s see, uh.… No, I would never do that.” — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 259

Categorization

• XREF: Directly instantiates Rosenblum’s thesis that conspiraciam frees speech from any accountability to truth; connects to the delegitimation mechanics traced in earlier chapters. — connects to: The ‘fake news’ charge asserts press bias rather than literal fabrication of stories — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 131; Fake news is better countered by flooding with real news than censorship. — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 233; Weaponizing the term fake news lets leaders dismiss verified reporting — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 220 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The phrase fake news is ascribed to whichever outlet is politically opposed #expands (0.80) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 723