posttruth

Post-truth describes a condition in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion, personal belief, and identity. In such environments, political communication often relies on narrative, framing, and trust in specific sources, while misinformation can spread rapidly through social media and be treated as credible within certain communities.

The term existed in print before 2016 but gained prominence in the late 2010s as commentators described changes in political discourse. It was named Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year for 2016. The phrase is widely used to analyze politics, media, and public discourse in English, and it is applied across disciplines such as political science, communications, and journalism.

Scholars disagree about what post-truth entails. Some treat it as a cultural condition that marginalizes truth in favor of feelings, identities, and manufactured narratives. Others view it as a rhetorical strategy employed by actors to mobilize support regardless of factual accuracy. The concept is often discussed alongside issues of misinformation, propaganda, and trust in institutions.

In practice, post-truth is reinforced by confirmation bias, echo chambers, agenda-driven journalism, and platform algorithms that reward engagement over verification. Fact-checking and journalistic standards continue to function, but their influence may be uneven across audiences. Critics argue that the term can obscure more specific problems and sometimes overstate novelty, while others see it as a useful lens on contemporary political communication.

Related terms include truthiness, fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and post-factual.