Publication Date

2012

Document Type

Article

Abstract

What exactly is the difference between a factoid and a fact? Norman Mailer intended the word "factoid" in a biography of Marilyn Monroe, using it to mean things that seem to be facts but really are not. But CNN Headline News and most writers eventually began using the word to mean a nugget of information that is true but trivial or presented without adequate context. To avoid confusion, I suggest that the term "pseudo-fact" is a great candidate to take over the role that Mailer intended for "factoid".

Publication Title

Green Bag

Volume

16

Issue

1

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