Disinformation and misinformation: it’s all bad

With all the talk about fake news out there, I wanted to get clear on two words often used interchangeably: disinformation and misinformation. Turns out, both terms refer to incorrect information, but the important difference is the intent of the person or persons spreading the information.

Misinformation, which combines mis (meaning wrong or mistaken) + information, refers to false information that is spread regardless of whether there was intent to mislead. Sometimes, people unknowingly share social media posts or news with inaccurate information; they don’t mean to mislead, they just don’t know it’s wrong. (Which is why we all need to get in the habit of fact checking before sharing.)

Also, sometimes people mishear, misunderstand, or forget details of the person or event they are posting about or sharing. There is no bad intent, but the information is still wrong.

Disinformation, which combines the prefix dis (meaning a reversal or a negative) + information, is false information spread by a government, intelligence agency, or other person or group as a subversive tactic. It can also describe deliberately misleading or biased information, propaganda, or manipulated facts. With disinformation, a person or group spreads wrong information in order to persuade, subvert, or arouse doubt or conflict.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to prove intent, so experts say it’s best to describe bad info as disinformation only if you know for sure that someone or some group intended to mislead. In most cases, it’s safest to use the word misinformation.

Regardless of which term you use, misinformation and disinformation present numerous problems. Social media and technology make it incredibly easy to share bad information that spreads quickly, and automation and artificial intelligence can create more traffic and attention than people. Many unethical characters are using this powerful, destructive, and divisive tool to influence public opinion and political outcomes.

And people don’t just use disinformation to sway opinion. Plenty unscrupulous characters at “dark PR firms” make tons of money from the distribution of bad information. For a scary and concerning read, check out this Buzz Feed article, “Disinformation For Hire: How A New Breed Of PR Firms Is Selling Lies Online”, in which a software developer brags about his ability to collect and distribute bad information with his “Content Farm Automatic Collection System” that shares links to misleading articles via multiple websites and fake social media accounts.

There is now a worldwide industry of PR and marketing firms ready to deploy fake accounts, false narratives, and pseudo news websites for the right price.

Craig Silverman, Buzz Feed news

I also recommend listening to this episode of the Make Me Smart podcast, in which an expert on disinformation discusses the depth of the problem.

Thanks to misinformation and disinformation, we are being manipulated by the very things we love: words. To prevent being duped by disinformation campaigns, we need to learn about this blooming problem, increase our awareness of mis- and disinformation, and prevent the spread of false information.

Here are a few ways you can fight back:

• fact check before posting and sharing
• consume content from a wide variety of reliable sources
• consult official and well respected websites, such as those for local, state, and national government offices, for accurate information
• avoid obscure, previously unheard of sources

If you’d like to learn more about disinformation, please check out:

• “Misinformation” vs. “Disinformation”: Get Informed on the Difference at Dictionary.com
• “Is There a Proven Method to Combat Disinformation?” at Forbes.com
• Disinformation For Hire: How A New Breed Of PR Firms Is Selling Lies Online at Buzzfeed.com

Are you aware of mis- and disinformation, and what do you do to combat them?

Thanks for getting smart with me!

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