"Fake news" isn't new. It's been around for centuries in the form of gossip. But society's never had a platform whereby gossip could be shared on a mass global basis, where its mere repetition and topic popularity could elevate it from believability to assumed truth. Bad news in a rapidly globalizing world, where politics and governments can depend on popular "news" to remain in power. 

The ancient Greeks taught us that there are five appeals that we as humans tend to accept: 1) logos (well-reasoned, logical information); 2) pathos (that which appeals to our emotions); 3) ethos (that which appeals to our cultural norms and beliefs); 4) keiros (the "voice" of leaders, officials and pop heroes); and 5) numos (the law). Of these, only logos contains truth, and then, only when made public. Unfortunately, our educational systems are becoming increasingly attracted to the other four appeals, which, well constructed, can have a strong appeal and even the "ring of truth" in them. Business, in particular, has played them up under the rubric of advertising and marketing. 

The good news is that reason and logic (logos) will eventually prevail, though not necessarily so in historical "fact" which often reflects more the winner's desired perspective. The beginning of truth is based on the basic fiction that money and/or power can insure against one's mortality. True, it can, in some instances, temporarily put off death or at least make life more superficially pleasurable, but it can't defeat death, at least, not yet. Money and power are, in fact, two great illusions that modern business assumes in order to justify the acquisition of wealth over Maslow's self-actualization and service to humanity, both of which are humanistic endeavors that directly enriched the soul and one's internal quality of life. Money and power are key elements in today's global corporate Monopoly game. Two dangerous elements, that carry within them in "business" the seeds of "Fake News." 

It's not that money and power don't exist at all; they do in the "fake" Monopoly world of modern business. But they're still illusions incorporated into the big game. Letting go of them as marker of one's "value" in life is a great first step to lessening the impact of today's propaganda ("Fake News" created for the purpose of increasing someone's public appearance of success, leadership or power). True power can't be bought or seized. True power is a gift that comes from the slow garnering of the public's respect.