Kick in the Pants 2017 winner

Kellyanne Conway/ Sean Spicer ‘Alternative facts’

Conway and Spicer, as prominent media representatives of President Donald Trump, were widely mocked for their defence of the indefensible throughout 2017. Things took a turn for the farcical when the idea of ‘alternative facts’ began to be promoted, as though ‘original facts’ might easily be ignored in favour of made up stuff. As defenders of plain English facts, we deplore the continuing fabrication of news, and the opposition to unpopular news. The news is often clouded in doubt and confusion, but should never be beholden to the whims of a demagogue.