In the Year of our Lord 1651...

…William Lazednby, a Gentleman of Haxby, was hanged by the neck at York Castle for spreading false (fake) news…

Either he was guilty of doing exactly that, or was accused of doing something when he was doing the exact opposite, because 1651 sees the rise of the Puritans and the English civil war

Whichever way – disinformation or accusations of treachery through word, has been the name of the game for a very long time, accelerated by a trillion because of social media. And with Trump panting after becoming the authoritarian chosen one, who will brook no descent… fetching out the gallows may not be that much of an exaggeration if he gets away with his current bollocks.