Post-Truth – Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2016
This blog is written as a task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the link to the professor's blogs for background reading: Click here to learn more about Post Truth.
Word: Post-truth (adjective)
Meaning of Post truth is relating to situations where people respond more to emotions and personal beliefs than to facts.
Why Was "Post-Truth" Chosen as Word of the Year in 2016?
The word post-truth was chosen as the Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries in 2016 because it was widely used during two major global events:
- The Brexit referendum in the UK
- The U.S. presidential election won by Donald Trump
In both cases, emotional appeal, identity politics, and misinformation played a bigger role than truth or facts.
The word post-truth was first used in 1992 by Serbian-American playwright Steve Tesich in The Nation magazine, it didn’t gain popularity until 2016. In his essay "A Government of Lies", Tesich discussed how people were willingly accepting government lies if they felt emotionally satisfied. He wrote, “We would see only what our government wanted us to see, and we saw nothing wrong with that... We liked it that way.”
Literal and Figurative Meaning
Literally, post-truth means "after truth", but in today’s world, it means something deeper. It shows a shift where truth is no longer important in forming public opinion. Emotions win over evidence, and facts become optional.
How Does Post-Truth Affect People’s Opinions Today?
- In today’s digital era, people often form opinions based on Their religion, caste, language, or political identity.
- News and social media content that aligns with what they want to hear.
- Many political leaders use emotional issues to manipulate voters. A large section of the population is misled through fake news, half-truths, and emotional stories. As a result People don’t verify information and select the ministers who are lying to them.
- Around 60% of voters may vote based on misinformation, not real facts.
Role of Digital Platforms in Post-Truth
- Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube influencers play a big role in spreading post-truth content.
- Many videos, posts, and photos are edited, but people believe them because they look real.
- Influencers often speak confidently even when spreading false information.
- People don’t fact-check because of low digital awareness and because of lack of education. And truth is become twisted to look attractive and believable.
Real-Life Examples of Misinformation
- During the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration, the timing just before elections was used emotionally. People saw it as a religious success, not a political strategy.
- In the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, many fake videos about crowd control and miraculous events were shared without checking facts.
- Old videos are often shared as current events, misleading thousands.
Personal Experience with Post-Truth
Every day on social media, I see AI-generated and edited videos that are presented as real. Without fact-checking, many people believe and share them. Sometimes, even old or irrelevant videos go viral, creating panic or false pride.
My Strategy to Stay Alert
Here’s how I stay careful:
- I don’t believe everything I see or read.
- I check multiple sources before accepting anything.
- I try to keep emotions aside and think logically.
- I don’t blindly follow influencers or religious messages without verification.
Why We Must Understand Post-Truth
By understanding the post-truth world We become smarter consumers of information, We protect ourselves from being manipulated as well as We help others by sharing only verified content.
The Need for Critical Thinking and Media Literacy
In the age of AI and fake news, it’s very easy to spread lies as truth. Leaders, media, and influencers often divert attention from real issues like:
- Employment - In our country unemployment rate is so high that people are don't get good job not paid as their degree or post. Every year lakhs of people take degree from University in various fields but they don't get well paid job. And the craze of government job also there.
- Education - Education is also a question of this time. In our education system students don't learn great skill to work efficiently. Just learn to pass the exam. Government not as much active as they have to. Private school and university takes place and middle class people don't afford it.
- Healthcare - In government hospital our government expenses so much money but their services is very poor so people have to go in private hospital. In this time many villages doesn't have any hospital that is failure of our government and health ministry.
If we are media literate and think critically, we can ask the right questions and demand real change.
References
Dilipsir Barad's Post-Truth: Word of the Year 2016.
https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2017/01/post-truth-word-of-year-2016.html
Steve Tesich. Post-Truth and Its Consequences, The Nation, 1992. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/post-truth-and-its-consequences-what-a-25-year-old-essay-tells-us-about-the-current-moment/
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary – Post-truth
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/post-truth?q=post+truth
Final Thought
Post-truth is not just a word—it’s a warning. It reminds us to stay alert, think deeply, and protect the truth in a world full of lies.
No comments:
Post a Comment