“Fake news” is bandied about as a riposte or denial with excessive liberty these days. US President Donald Trump deploys it against the “enemy of the people” – AKA the media – in response to any story that jars with his own world view, or paints him in a bad light.

At the opposite end of the ideological spectrum, China's leadership has long fed well-spun takes on global events to its people: according to Beijing, recent protests in Hong Kong against a controversial extradition bill were either massive support rallies or the product of foreign pot-stirring.