Famous examples of fake news

Introduction

In the 21st century, the impact and usage of the term “fake news” have become widespread. Fake news often relates to political matters and is used particularly during events like presidential elections. Its purpose is to sway public opinion and to spread distrust. Next, you can read about some famous examples of fake news stories that have gained significant attention within the past decade.

Obama birther conspiracy

Barack Obama, a member of the Democratic Party, ran a campaign for President in the 2008 elections in the United States against John McCain, the Republican candidate. During this time and throughout Obama’s presidency, a number of conspiracy theories surfaced, claiming that he could not be President because he was not a natural-born citizen of the United States and he, therefore, did not meet the requirements set by the US Constitution.

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, to a Kenyan father and an American mother. In 1967, Obama and his mother moved to Indonesia, but he later returned to Hawaii and has resided continuously in the United States since 1971.

These conspiracy theories had various claims about the birth place and citizenship of Barack Obama. Some of them alleged that Obama was, in fact, born in Kenya, not in Hawaii. Other theories alleged that Obama became a citizen of Indonesia and, as a result, lost his US citizenship. Another theory claimed that Obama was no...