Looking back over the history of American journalism, we find, about a century ago, that articles based on rumors and lies were common.

The imperialist war against Spain was started through such pressure. The slogan for the war was "Remember the Maine", alluding to a US warship that exploded mysteriously in Havana. The most recent investigtion concluded it was an internal explosion.

Movements for independence in Cuba and the Philippines were both crushed by the US, which turned Cuba into a puppet government, and reduced the Philippines to a colony after years of war and repression.