Misinformation and deliberate deception have long been part of American culture, according to a new book.

“Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News,” seeks to highlight cultural figures and events that date back more than three centuries to explain that the current “fake news” era isn’t a new phenomenon. Author Kevin Young takes readers on a historical journey from P.T. Barnum to Donald Trump to explain the nation’s long history of hoaxes.

Young furthers the conversation by incorporating racial anxieties and delusions which can sometime motivate these practices. Additionally, his book delves into why people want to believe in such fabrications.

Guest:

Kevin Young, author, “Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News”; director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library