There is nothing new about fake news. It has been in existence for centuries, albeit without the scaffolding of support from social media. From housewives’ tales to gossip magazines, the Trojan horse to the misinformation around the D-Day landing site, fake news has been a rite of passage.
The world at large has spent much of the past year struggling to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. While we have not yet defeated COVID-19, now with the vaccine, at last, there is some hope. 2021 is a year of change. Though we have all started working towards our rejigged futures again, the fact is that the new normal is different, and there is no going back to the conditions that reigned before 2020.