Political discourse in the age of fake news and alternative facts

White House spokesman Sean Spicer (L) and adviser Kellyanne Conway wait for the arrival of US President Donald Trump under the wing of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on January 26, 2017 as he departs to attend a Republican retreat in Philadelphia.- AFP PHOTO

"Alternative facts" was a phrase used by U.S. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway during a NBC Meet the Press interview on January 22, 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's highly questionable statement about the attendance at Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the United States.

The use of the term invited strong rebukes because “alternative facts” are not facts but falsehoods.