When pressed during an interview to explain why Spicer would “utter a provable falsehood”, Conway stated that Spicer was simply giving “alternative facts.”
As the Washington Post noted, this “wasn’t the first time the Trump team and its supporters have responded to journalists calling out their falsehoods by claiming the truth isn’t so black and white or that it’s not a big deal.”
Indeed, many said it’s part of a broader “gaslighting” strategy used by Trump and his allies to control public discussion.
At its most basic level, an alternative fact is a statement that is presented as true, but is actually false or misleading.
It is essentially a form of propaganda or disinformation that is designed to manipulate public opinion or shape public perception in a way that is favorable to the person or group presenting the alternative facts.
Origin of the concept
The concept of alternative facts has been around for centuries, as politicians and other leaders have always sought to spin the truth or present a distorted version of events in order to further their own agendas.
One of the most concerning aspects of alternative facts is that they can be very difficult to discern from actual facts, especially if they are presented in a convincing manner.
They may be dressed up in the guise of legitimate information, or may be woven into a larger narrative that seems plausible.
This can make it challenging for people to critically evaluate the information they are presented with, and can make it easier for alternative facts to gain traction and spread rapidly.
In discussing the origins of the phrase, Psychology Today notes that George Orwell wrote the novel 1984 “which portrays a totalitarian state that limited freedom of thought by creating its own language called ‘Newspeak.’ The political purpose of of Newspeak was to reduce the English language to simple concepts that reinforced the totalitarian dominance of the State. Moreover, words with negative meanings were removed, such that ‘bad’ became ‘ungood.'”
Many news reports also described Conway’s use of the phrase as “Orwellian.”
Interestingly, within four days of Conway’s interview, sales of George Owell’s book 1984 had risen by 9,500%.
Use of “Alternative Facts” in a sentence
CNN (January 22, 2017): “And they're giving – Sean Spicer, our press secretary – gave alternative facts,”
CBS News: “Alternative facts are not facts, they're falsehoods.”
The Conversation (2017): “And so Spicer does, in fact, offer alternative facts.”