This research aims to analyse the evolution and connotations of the expression "fake news" from its emergence to its contemporary usage. This study examines the origin, the quantitative trajectory of its use, and the macro-categories of meaning associated with this term. To accomplish these aims, content analysis was performed on prominent media outlets between 2016 and 2022. The dataset, comprising 30,035 articles, facilitated the identification of the term's usage trends. Additionally, sub-corpus sampling and computer-assisted qualitative techniques were utilized to examine the evolving connotations and macro-categories of meaning related to the expression.
The findings demonstrate that the established usage of the term "fake news" emerged in November 2016. The term's prevalence increased substantially, reaching its peak in 2018, and subsequently expanded into broader domains. Initially, the term was predominantly associated with the "world of the Net" and the specific political events of 2016, but it progressively extended to encompass journalism and socio-political conflict in general. Despite the decline and stabilization that took place between 2019 and 2022, the term "fake news" remained pervasively used, with references to journalism overtaking those to the online world. This coincided with a continuous "background noise" of oppositional and emotional connotations.
The term "fake news" was initially conceived to criticize online information. Subsequently, it has evolved into a stigmatizing and generic label employed in political and social discourse to discredit opponents. This negative connotation undermines trust in media and institutions, exacerbates divisive rhetoric, and impedes open and democratic discourse within increasingly complex social systems.
