A newsprint paper airplane flies through the air, trailing smoke. The words "fact" and "fake" are clearly visible on airplane wings.

The History and Spread of American Fake News

And What Organizations Can Learn From Others to Fight It

E-book cover. Contains a paper airplane made from newsprint and the following text: The History and Spread of American Fake News and What Organizations Can Learn From Others to Fight It, an academic paper by Shandi S. Greve Penrod, M.A. Communications Management

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Abstract Excerpt

A literature review of some of the existing information about the creation and spread of fake news; a historical foundation of American fake news and today’s media landscape; an explanation of how fake news is spread by content creators, social media users, and technology; and definitions of fake news for today’s discourse.

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Chapter 1. The Prevalence of Fake News
  • Chapter 2. Defining Fake News, Misinformation and Disinformation
  • Chapter 3. The History and Spread of American Fake News: The Colonial Press to the Broadcast Era
  • Chapter 4. The History and Spread of American Fake News: The Internet Era
  • Chapter 5. The History and Spread of Fake News: The 2016 Election
  • Chapter 6. Learning from Organizations: A Case Study Approach to Fighting Misinformation and Disinformation
  • Chapter 7. Learning from Strategic Communicators: A Literature Review of Articles by Communication Agencies, Professionals, and Professional Organizations Regarding Fighting Misinformation and Disinformation
  • Chapter 8. 27 Communication Strategies Organizations Can Use to Fight Fake News
  • Works Cited

A thesis submitted to the School of Communications of Webster University in St. Louis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Communications Management,
Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.

© 2018-2019 Shandi S. Greve Penrod ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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