Bob Sullivan
Fifty-odd years ago, historian Daniel Boorstin coined the term “pseudo-event” in a book called The Image. It lamented modernity’s turn away from authentic experiences like traveling, which were replaced by TV programs about traveling. In a way, Boorstin, was the first to cry “fake news.”
In journalism, a pseudo-event is easily defined. A press conference is a pseudo-event. Most of the time, nothing actually happens at a press conference. People just talk in front of cameras. An event is a traveler being detained at an airport. Or, a person being laid off. A pseudo-event is a spokesperson talking about a travel ban, or a commentator talking about unemployment. Or, it’s a Russian typing Facebook comments in Moscow.