The term post-truth entered public discourse through 2016’s Brexit and US election
Evidence
The phenomenon of “post-truth” rocketed to public attention in November 2016, when the Oxford Dictionaries named it 2016’s word of the year. After seeing a 2,000 percent spike in usage over 2015, the choice seemed obvious. Among the other contenders on the shortlist were “alt-right” and “Brexiteer,” highlighting the political context of the year’s selection. As a catch-all phrase, “post-truth” seemed to capture the times. Given the obfuscation of facts, abandonment of evidential standards in reasoning, and outright lying that marked 2016’s Brexit vote and the US presidential election, many were aghast. If Donald Trump could claim—without evidence—that if he lost the election it would be because it was rigged against him, did facts and truth even matter anymore? — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 23
Categorization
- DEFINE: Establishes the defining moment when ‘post-truth’ entered the lexicon as a named phenomenon.
- XREF: connects to: Brexit and Trump’s election resulted from rather than caused post-truth — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 53; Post-truth predates 2016 with roots in cognitive bias, philosophy, and media change — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 51; Trump symptomizes rather than causes post-truth — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 53
Broader Connections
- Brexit and Trump’s election resulted from rather than caused post-truth
#contradicts(0.95) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 53 - Trump symptomizes rather than causes post-truth
#contradicts(0.90) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 53 - Post-truth predates 2016 with roots in cognitive bias, philosophy, and media change
#contradicts(0.85) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 51