Post Truth
I am writing this blog as a reading task assigned by the head of the Department of English Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir. Here is the link of professor's blog as a reading material:
1.https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2017/01/post-truth-word-of-year-2016.html
2.https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2023/11/beware-of-histofluencers.html
In this blog I will share my knowledge on the word Post-Truth, why it's become the word of the year in 2016 and when and who uses this word. Firstly let's start with the definition of Post-Truth. Post Truth is relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. The word post truth was firstly used in 1992 by 'Steve Tesich' in the essay published in 'The Nation magazine' article named 'A Government of Lies'. The word became widely popular during the 2010s notably during Brexit and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Introduction:
In today’s world, we hear a lot about fake news, emotional politics, and people ignoring facts. A word that describes all of this is “post-truth.” It may sound complicated, but the idea behind it is simple. In a post-truth world, facts are less important than emotions, beliefs, or personal opinions. People care more about what feels true than what is true.
The word "post-truth" became so important that the Oxford Dictionaries chose it as the Word of the Year in 2016. But where did it come from? Why did it suddenly become popular? And what does it mean for our future? Let’s take a look.
Here is the Mind Map on Post Truth: Click Here
What Does "Post-Truth" Mean?
"Post-truth" is an adjective. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it means:
In simpler words, it means people believe what they feel is true, even if the facts say something else. In a post-truth situation, facts don’t matter as much as feelings.
Where Did the Word Come From?
The first known use of the word “post-truth” was in 1992 by a writer named Steve Tesich. He wrote an article in The Nation, where he talked about how Americans reacted to big political scandals and the Gulf War. He said that people seemed more comfortable believing lies or ignoring the truth. In that article, he used the term “post-truth era.”
Back then, the word didn’t become very popular. But it quietly stayed around in books and articles, especially among people discussing politics and media.
Why Did "Post-Truth" Become Famous in 2016?
In 2016, two major events changed everything:
1. The Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom
2. The U.S. Presidential election, where Donald Trump became president
In both events, there was a lot of misinformation, fake news, and emotional arguments. Experts and fact-checkers tried to correct false statements, but many people ignored the facts. Instead, they believed messages that made them feel angry, afraid, or hopeful—even if those messages weren’t true.
For example: In the Brexit campaign, some politicians said the UK was sending £350 million a week to the EU and that money could go to healthcare instead. This claim was proven false, but it still influenced voters.
During the U.S. election, many fake news stories were shared on social media, and many voters believed them, even when there was no evidence.
Because of these events, Oxford Dictionaries said post-truth had become “one of the defining words of our time.” It reflected how public opinion was being shaped—not by facts, but by emotion, social media, and personal beliefs.
The Role of Social Media:
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube played a big part in spreading post-truth ideas. These platforms show users what they want to see based on past behaviour. This creates an echo chamber—a space where people only hear opinions they already agree with.
This makes it easy for fake news or misleading information to spread quickly. People share posts without checking if they are true. In a post-truth world, viral content often wins over verified facts.
Why Should We Care?
Living in a post-truth world is dangerous. When truth doesn’t matter:
Democracy suffers. People may vote based on lies or emotions, not real information.
Division grows. If everyone believes different “truths,” it becomes harder to agree on anything.
Trust fades. We stop trusting experts, science, or journalism—things that help society work well.
Truth is not always easy to find, but if we ignore it, we open the door to manipulation, confusion, and fear.
What Can We Do About It?
The good news is that we can fight back against the post-truth trend. Here are some simple ways:
1. Check your sources. Don’t share news unless you know it’s from a reliable place.
2. Ask questions. If something sounds too good (or too scary) to be true, it might not be.
3. Listen to others. Try to understand different views, even if you don’t agree.
4. Support honest journalism. Read newspapers and websites that check their facts.
5. Value truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes the truth isn’t what we want to hear—but it’s still important.
Conclusion:
The word post-truth reminds us how easily facts can be pushed aside in favour of emotions and opinions. It became the word of the year in 2016 not just because it was new, but because it captured the mood of the world. We now live in a time when truth feels like it’s under attack.
But words have power. If we understand what post-truth means, we can make choices that protect truth, honesty, and critical thinking. In a world full of noise, let’s make sure truth still has a voice.
Word count: 933
Images: 1
Videos: 1
Mind Map: 1
.png)
.png)