What do you call a piece that is written as non-fiction, but is completely riddled with factual errors and manufactured statistics?
The word fiction is overloaded: We use it in two ways:
- Content where it is well understood that the contents are not meant to describe the truth (even if it is mostly truthful). Novels are common examples.
- Something that is simply not true (example: The politician’s claim that the budget deficit would be eliminated without cutting any public services is pure fiction.)
Often, when reading the word non-fiction, our brains are primed to assume verity. And when reading the word fiction, our brains are primed to assume no pretense for the truth.
So: Is there a word to denote a non-fiction piece that is mostly fictional?
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