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A factoid is either an invented or assumed statement presented as a fact, ''or'' a true but brief or
trivia Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. It can be contrasted with general knowledge and common sense. Latin Etymology The ancient Romans used the word ''triviae'' to describe where one road split or forke ...
l item of news or information. The term was coined in 1973 by American writer Norman Mailer to mean a piece of information that becomes accepted as a fact even though it is not actually true, or an invented fact believed to be true because it appears in print. Dickson, Paul (April 30, 2014)
"The origins of writerly words"
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Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
''. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
Since the term's invention in 1973, it has become used to describe a brief or trivial item of news or information.


Usage

The term was coined by American writer Norman Mailer in his 1973 biography of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
. Mailer described factoids as "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper", and formed the word by combining the word ''fact'' and the ending ''-oid'' to mean "similar but not the same". ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughou ...
'' described Mailer's new word as referring to "something that looks like a fact, could be a fact, but in fact is not a fact". Accordingly, factoids may give rise to, or arise from, common misconceptions and
urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
s. Several decades after the term was coined by Mailer, it came to have several meanings, some of which are quite distinct from each other. In 1993,
William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He w ...
identified several contrasting senses of ''factoid'': * "factoid: accusatory: misinformation purporting to be factual; or, a phony statistic." * "factoid: neutral: seemingly though not necessarily factual" * "factoid: (the CNN version): a little-known bit of information; trivial but interesting data." This new sense of a factoid as a trivial but interesting fact was popularized by the CNN Headline News TV channel, which, during the 1980s and 1990s, often included such a fact under the heading "factoid" during newscasts. BBC Radio 2 presenter Steve Wright uses factoids extensively on his show.


Versus factlet

As a result of confusion over the meaning of factoid, some English-language style and usage guides discourage its use.
William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He w ...
in his "On Language" column advocated the use of the word ''factlet'' instead of ''factoid'' to express a brief interesting fact as well as a "little bit of arcana" but did not explain how adopting this new term would alleviate the ongoing confusion over the existing contradictory common use meanings of ''factoid''. Safire suggested that ''factlet'' be used to designate a small or trivial bit of information that is nonetheless true or accurate. A report in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' identified Safire as the writer who coined the term ''factlet'', although Safire's 1993 column suggested ''factlet'' was already in use at that time. ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' magazine agreed with Safire, and recommended ''factlet'' to signify a "small probably unimportant but interesting fact", as ''factoid'' still connoted a spurious fact. Madrigal, Alexis C. (March 29, 2012)
"Down With Factoid! Up With Factlet!"
''The Atlantic''. Accessed June 9, 2014. "Factoid is now almost exclusively used to mean a brief interesting fact ... ought instead to use another word for a small probably unimportant but interesting fact".
The term ''factlet'' has been used in publications such as ''
Mother Jones Mary G. Harris Jones (1837 (baptized) – November 30, 1930), known as Mother Jones from 1897 onwards, was an Irish-born American schoolteacher and dressmaker who became a prominent union organizer, community organizer, and activist. She h ...
'', the ''
San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...
'', and in the ''
Reno Gazette Journal The ''Reno Gazette Journal'' is the main daily newspaper for Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. It came into being when the ''Nevada State Journal'' (founded on November 23, 1870) and the ''Reno Evening Gazette'' (fou ...
''.Wright, Johnathan L. (May 26, 2014)
"In One Ear: Cherchez the sparkle at jewelry fundraiser; Cakebread dinner"
''Reno Gazette Journal''. Accessed June 9, 2014. "The chardonnay made its entrance next on the arm of rabbit loin wrapped in serrano ham (little food ''factlet'' for you: serrano ham couldn't be imported to the United States until 1997, when the pigs used in the ham were certified as free from African swine disease)". (italics added)


See also

* Chuck Norris facts * Communal reinforcement *
Fake news Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
*
Groupthink Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness ...
* Humanoid * Just-so story * Meme *
Pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable clai ...
*
Talking point A talking point, often used in the plural, is a pre-established message or formula used in the field of political communication, sales and commercial or advertising communication. The message is coordinated ''a priori'' to remain more or less inv ...
*
Truthiness Truthiness is the belief or assertion that a particular statement is true based on the intuition or perceptions of some individual or individuals, without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts. Truthiness can range from i ...
* Woozle effect


References

{{Disinformation Communication Doubt Traditional stories