EOTO 2: Misinformation & Disinformation

For my group's second EOTO presentation, we researched various types of false information. I specifically covered misinformation and disinformation. Both of these types of false information are present in every type of media that we consume, and it can often be very challenging to distinguish between the two. Misinformation is false information that is not published with the intent to mislead or harm an audience, whereas disinformation is false information published intentionally to spread false messages or ideas in a way to influence public opinion. 

Because misinformation is often simply getting the facts wrong, it can usually stem from unverifiable rumors and continuous sharing online. Social media can often amplify this circulation of misinformation and sharing. It can be difficult to monitor and correct, so often these rumors can spiral out of control. The picture below is an example of misinformation. It is not published with the intention of misleading or spreading false messages, but the information is incorrect nevertheless. This is largely because the numbers are graphics are not proportional. This would lead to the viewer misinterpreting the data. There is also no source listed for the reader to fact check the source that it is coming from. 

The second type of false information that I covered, disinformation, has a much more malicious intent. It is intentionally deceiving information to spread false messages in order to obscure the truth. There are many things that contribute to the cycle to disinformation. Some of these include: hackers, trolls, artificial intelligence, and engagement metrics. 

There are many ways that a reader can try to spot disinformation in the content that they are reading. Some helpful ways might include: checking and comparing other reliable news sources, looking at the source of the article you are reading, check the credibility of the author, read beyond the headline, developing a critical mindset, be on the lookout for sponsored content, run articles and other media through a fact checking site. These methods can help you filter out false information to give you a piece of mind that you are reading accurate information. 

In the picture below, you can see an example of disinformation. This advertisement uses statistics that have already been filtered through other sources, and it compares two separate sets of statistics that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. The two categories are so unrelated that comparing them comes across as manipulative. The advertisement also uses intense imagery like skulls to incite feelings of fear to further the message of propaganda. 

It is important as a reader to think critically when consuming information, especially when looking at media that could be considered controversial. This could be anything from foreign affairs, to local news, to politics. As always, it is best to draw your information from many reliable sources and to fact check before believing anything you read online. While there is no way to completely eliminate false information, taking the correct precautions can help prevent you from being easily persuaded by the heavy presence of misinformation and disinformation in today's online media.