Making and Debunking Myths about the Old West: A Case Study of Misinformation for Information Scholars

abstract:This article, which draws from an extensive historical, literary, and cultural study of the Old West, identifies the main creators and debunkers of myths about the West in order to provide a case study to information scholars about misinformation. Myth creators include novels, dime westerns, magazines, films, television shows, painting, sculpture, photography, music, and the tourist industry. Myth debunkers include academic historians, professional societies, public historians, research centers, libraries, museums, teachers, and postwestern film and literature.