Misinformation and Disinformation

These terms are often confused, but the distinction matters:

Misinformation — False or inaccurate information shared without intent to deceive. Your uncle sharing a debunked health claim on Facebook because he genuinely believes it.

Disinformation — False information created and spread deliberately to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm. A state-sponsored troll farm creating fake news articles to influence an election.

Malinformation — Genuine information shared out of context to mislead or cause harm. Leaking someone's private medical records to discredit them.

The information disorder is a spectrum. A foreign intelligence agency creates disinformation. It gets picked up by partisan outlets (still disinformation). Their readers share it on social media believing it's true (now misinformation). Each share amplifies it.

Who Creates Disinformation?

• State actors — Russia's Internet Research Agency, China's 50 Cent Army, Iran's Fars News-linked operations
• Political operatives — Domestic campaigns and super PACs that fund misleading ads
• Profiteers — The Macedonian teenagers who earned thousands creating fake 2016 election stories for ad revenue
• Ideologues — True believers who rationalize deception as serving a greater cause

Red Flags for False Information

1. Emotional intensity — Does the story make you immediately furious or terrified? Disinformation is designed to trigger strong emotions that bypass critical thinking.

2. No primary sources — Does the article cite specific documents, data, or named sources? Or does it rely on vague claims like "many people are saying" or "reports indicate"?

3. One-source stories — Major claims supported by a single anonymous source with no corroboration should be treated with extreme skepticism.

4. Confirmation bias appeal — Does this story perfectly confirm what you already believe? That's when you should be most skeptical, not least.

5. Urgency and share pressure — "Share this before they take it down!" is almost always a red flag.

6. Check the date — Old stories recirculated as new is a common tactic.

7. Reverse image search — Photos taken out of context are one of the most common forms of visual misinformation.

The SIFT Method

• Stop — Don't react immediately
• Investigate the source — Who published this? What's their track record?
• Find better coverage — What do established outlets say about this claim?
• Trace claims — Follow the claim back to its original source