mar 12, 1782 - Ben Franklin Fakes a Newspaper
Description:
Ben Franklin created a bogus newspaper with fake articles he wrote. One article detailed the brutal wartime crimes committed by American Indians against the Americans because of British orders. A second article examined poor prison conditions for captured Americans. Franklin intended the fake newspaper to be read by British newspaper editors, who would then reprint the stories, causing the British public to denounce their own country's brutality during war. Franklin's ultimate goal was a favorable peace for the Americans.
Painting of Ben Franklin by Joseph Duplessis [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Franklin-Benjamin-LOC.jpg
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The History of Fake News
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