The crushing anxiety behind the media's fake news hysteria

Here's why the media is flipping out over fake news

This isn't the first time the world has been sent into a frenzy.
(Image credit: Illustration | Gary Waters / Alamy Stock Photo)

One of the most fascinating phenomena in culture is moral panics. Whether it's witches in post-Reformation Europe or razor blades in apples (remember that one?), a sudden panic spreads like a meme and convulses society. Those who keep level-headed are left dismissed and befuddled.

Moral panics aren't completely random, of course. Very often they reflect a deeper anxiety, at least among a certain group of people.

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Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.