Bishop Alistair Magowan examines the concept of 'truthiness'

At the time it fooled many but illustrated the power of the media.

Sadly not all hoaxes are fun or funny. More recently the term 'Fake News' has entered common usage.

A working definition is a type of journalism that consists of deliberate misinformation spread via print, broadcast or online.

Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially or politically, often with sensationalist, exaggerated, or patently false headlines that grab attention.

Not surprisingly, language continually adapts.

Recently I came across a similar new word in an article 'Truthiness' - something that has the ring of truth without being actually true.

Given the power of social media and the speed in which information can be transmitted and go viral, truthiness and fake news are matters that are of concern to many.

Truthiness works on feelings more than evidence. Even in the realms of public debate there seems to be some shifting of ground towards truthiness.

People's lives and stories always have value and of course they remain important.

This has become uncomfortably clear in the wake of the Grenfell fire disaster. It is a sad indictment that it has taken this tragedy to bring to light the inequalities and realities of a section of our society so easily missed, hidden and forgotten.

However there is also a danger that proper empathy towards people's emotions can be confused with the desire for instant emotional response. In this tragic case, careful analysis and rigorous examination of the issues will be essential if such a tragedy is to be avoided in the future and lessons learnt.

If fake news or the feeling of the moment, rather than evidence or careful reasoned consideration, dominate then wise government is less likely and we are in danger of embracing a version of mob rule.

Speaking truth to power and truth to cameo are good medicine in the face of fake news and truthiness.