“Fake news” Is The 2017 Word Of The Year

According to a BBC report, a word – a phrase, rather – that has dominated the headline, favoured by a particular Twitter account holder, has been named the word of the year by dictionary publisher Collins.

“Fake news” may have become synonymous with statements from US President Donald Trump, but it appears the rest of the world has followed suit, with its use rising by 365% in 2017.

Politics had a big influence on the short list, with “Antifa” and “Echo-chamber” also taking their spots.

Even “Insta” – linked to the photo-sharing app Instagram – and “fidget spinner” could not beat the top phrase, defined by Collins as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”.

It is the fifth year that a word or phrase has been picked by the publisher, with previous winners including “Brexit” and “Geek”.
As a result, “fake news” will become an entry in next year’s dictionary.

President Trump has not been alone in using the term. Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have included it in speeches, and social media has been littered with accusations.

Helen Newstead, Collins’ head of language content, said: “‘Fake news’, either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of society’s trust in news reporting.”