Infox, réalités construites et post-vérité: diachronies d’un phénomène si moderne
Fake news, constructed realities and post-truth: diachronies of a very modern phenomenon

Summary/Abstract: In this paper we adopt a diachronic perspective on the phenomenon of fakenews, which we discuss by reference to four anthology cases: i. the struggle forthe succession of Julius Caesar, in ancient Rome; ii. The Secret History ofProcopius of Caesarea, in late antiquity; iii.the unpredictable Pietro Aretino,from the age of the first printed books; iv. Benjamin Franklin and his imitatorsduring the American revolution from the 19th century, when what mattered wasthe construction of the image of supreme evil. Our aim is to show that, beyondthe infatuation with the term “post-truth” that began in 2016, when we take alook at human history we encounter systematic processes addressing thefoundation schemata in the constitution of any public debate: the articulation ofthe concepts of “fact” and “truth”, diverted by various power rationales.

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