Misinformation, disinformation & fake news

The internet is brilliant for finding useful, authoritative information on everything you can think of, but it’s also littered with false information. Misinformation, disinformation and fake news can all be created and shared via social media, texts and emails, websites, documents and word of mouth.

Misinformation

Misinformation is incorrect or inaccurate information which is created and shared innocently by people without realising that it’s incorrect or misleading, or in some cases harmful. Misinformation can go viral in a very short space of time, with a variety of consequences. Some misinformation originates purely through urban myths or simply messages changing as they pass from person to person, ending up with a very different meaning at the end of the chain.

Disinformation

Disinformation is false information that is created and spread intentionally, normally by people with some kind of motive such as influencing voting, spreading ideologies or making money from click-throughs.

Fake news

In these days of ungoverned social media, a massive rise in online news channels and sponsored stories, it’s quite possible that you will encounter fake news every day. There are two kinds:

Untrue stories which are intentionally published to influence your thoughts and decisions or take a particular action like visiting a linked website.
Stories which are only partially true, such as reporting a factual event but misreporting some of the circumstances or facts around it, such as motives and quotes.

Some people also deliberately discredit factually accurate news, labelling it as untrue.

True or false? You choose

Ask yourself if what you’re reading, watching or hearing about is actually true. Approach it rationally: it is attempting to change your viewpoint? Sell you something? Redirect you to another website? Or simply shock you?
Is anybody else reporting the same news story or information? Check if reputable, widely respected newsfeeds and websites have also covered the news you have seen and if so, are the quoted facts the same?
Research the source. Find out more about the publisher, for example whether it is a reputed, normally reliable source or someone’s personal blog. Check for unbiased reviews of the source.
Check the facts. Authentic news and other facts are often backed up by official data, surveys and previous, or similar instances of what’s being reported. Sometimes, it’s quite clear that the news or information is anecdotal or fabricated, sometimes it’s harder to tell.
Always be aware that most influencers are paid for their work and what they share should be fact-checked, like everything else you read or watch. You should be made aware when a post has been sponsored, but this isn’t always the case.
Check images. Photos or illustrations accompanying fake news are often created or retouched to reinforce the story. Also, perform a Google reverse image search to see if the image has been stolen from another source. Be aware that AI is being widely used by creators of disinformation and fake news to make it more convincing.
Passing on disinformation and fake news is effectively the same as re-creating it. Think twice before you share.