Lying like Trump: Really Telling the Spontaneous Truth? Cover Image

LAGATI KOT TRUMP: RES GOVORJENJE SPONTANE RESNICE?
Lying like Trump: Really Telling the Spontaneous Truth?

Author(s): Vlado Kotnik
Subject(s): Governance, Politics and communication, Politics and society
Published by: Slovensko sociološko društvo (in FDV)
Keywords: Donald Trump; truth telling; lying; open lie; transparent manipulation;

Summary/Abstract: Although it has long been known that politicians lie, Donald Trump’s entry to the political arena has seen lying been turned not just into an augmented political strategy unparalleled in the recent history of political falsehoods and manipulation, but one that has rapidly spread through the media and, helped by information and communication technologies, across public spaces to reach every domain of society. This example reveals the social dimension of new initiatives in organised lying (i.e. open lying) and upgraded versions of systemic deep manipulation (i.e. transparent manipulation). In the article, we reflect on what has recently happened to the social status of truth, and also to lying and manipulation, in this post-truth world. By conceptualising open lying and transparent manipulation, we try to answer what it means to “lie like Trump”.

  • Issue Year: 37/2021
  • Issue No: 96-97
  • Page Range: 209-232
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Slovenian