The phrase fake news is ascribed to whichever outlet is politically opposed

Evidence

But the really interesting bit is what happens when you split things up by political ideology. What’s the first thing that comes to mind for conservatives when they hear the term ‘fake news’? The answer was overwhelmingly – 75 per cent – a single term: CNN (the CNN association only emerged for 3 per cent of liberals). Conversely, what is the first thing the majority of liberals thought of when they heard the term ‘fake news’? Fox News! – 59 per cent versus only 4 per cent of conservatives. In other words, if you’re liberal, then Fox is considered ‘fake news’ whereas if you’re conservative, CNN is fake news. The irony is that Fox News and CNN are both rated as having ‘mixed accuracy’ by independent fact-checkers. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 723

Categorization

• XREF: Extends the chapter 2 finding that people preferentially form false memories consistent with political allegiances — here the very definition of ‘fake news’ is partisan. — connects to: Fake news transitions from a profit motive to political weaponization — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 213; Conspiracy subcultures require an official narrative to define themselves against — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 829; Urgent threatening messages, group pressure, and shallow assessment drive fake-news sharing. — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 325 (+5 more)
• SEED: Essay angle: the plural meanings of ‘fake news’ — an originally descriptive term that became a purely partisan slur attaching to the outgroup outlet.

Broader Connections

• Fake news transitions from a profit motive to political weaponization #expands (0.90) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 213
• Conspiracy subcultures require an official narrative to define themselves against #exemplifies (0.75) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 829
• Urgent threatening messages, group pressure, and shallow assessment drive fake-news sharing. #qualifies (0.75) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 325