ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to understand and misunderstand fake news as a research concept. It addresses each of the critiques by outlining elements of our research on fake news production in the Philippines, which was selected insofar as it provides a non-European case of a phenomenon the discussion of which is usually confined to the industrialized West and which serves as a launching pad for engaging in larger meta-theoretical reflection. The chapter describes the term “fake news” while agreeing entirely with the criticism that its use is problematic. It explores the fake news as words on a page rather than images or other forms of visual content. The chapter discusses the initial conversation about the media and scandal and discusses how the different frameworks for considering fake news shed light on the relationship between scandal and the media. One of the forms of media visibility arises via scandal, which is itself related to certain changes in the constitution of politics.
