Final answer:
Politicians use 'fake news' to discredit opposing information and maintain their credibility, exploiting human biases and emotional responses. This term also helps to manipulate media narratives and maintain public trust, although it can be counterproductive if politicians are perceived as dishonest.
Step-by-step explanation:
Politicians employ the term “fake news” to discredit information that may be damaging or contradict their narratives, framing it as false or misleading. This tactic capitalizes on cognitive shortcuts, referred to as heuristics, where individuals make quick, emotion-based judgments rather than in-depth analysis. The spread of fake news is facilitated by social media's rapid dissemination capabilities, with false information often traveling faster and being more influential than the truth, as studies have shown.
Politicians utilize media as a primary tool for both self-promotion and to influence public perception, occasionally deploying negative campaigning and sound bites. Such strategies lean on the simplification of complex issues, appealing to human biases and emotional responses rather than rational discourse. Furthermore, the term helps politicians manipulate the media landscape to maintain their credibility and public trust, though this can backfire if they are perceived as dishonest.