MISINFORMATION VS. DISINFORMATION AND THE FUTURE OF MEDIA LITERACY

In an age when access to information has never been more abundant yet trust is declining, we’re all bombarded with messages said to be true but actually aren’t. But confusing kinds of false information complicates response efforts. Understanding the difference between misinformation and disinformation is key so we know how to handle them.

Misinformation refers to false information distributed unintentionally by people who don’t realize it’s inaccurate or made-up. Reasons vary – from sincerely held incorrect beliefs and flawed logic to poor research practices or lack of expertise around complex topics. Misinformation could take the form of long-disproven health claims, speculative rumors that muddy reality from fiction, or well-intentioned but ill-informed advice on current events, science, history and more.

Regardless if misinformation is shared innocently or accidentally, its inaccuracies still spread the same contagion of confusion which can cause individual or societal harms. Though motives weren’t malicious, damage occurs nonetheless. But the hopeful news is that correcting and containing misinformation is very possible through collaborative education. People sharing wrong info only from unawareness are usually receptive to remedying mistakes.

In contrast, disinformation refers to deception where sources purposefully manufacture lies or manipulate narratives to mislead audiences, often for ideological or financial gain while undermining opponents. Disinformation malignly games social vulnerabilities by posing as grassroots truths. Examples run the gamut from state actors interfering in elections with propaganda to unethical brands astroturfing to industry groups covering up safety risks of products.

Unlike those sharing misinformation, sources disseminating disinformation already comprehend it’s fraudulent yet persist anyway through omission, distortion and fabricated evidence. They bank on polarization making followers willing accomplices in spreading disinformation as long as it champions their causes or confirms biased worldviews. This weaponization of dishonesty makes disinformation far trickier to counteract since believers cling tighter to lies that feel aligned to their politics and identities.

So while both misinformation and disinformation sow confusion, disinformation’s intentional deceit and partisan roots make it more challenging to weed out and combat once it takes root. But distinguishing definitions helps guide appropriate interventions – whether educating the inadvertently wrong versus investigating and exposing those purposely misleading discourse. Truth still prevails as long as we understand adversaries, inoculate vulnerable groups and enlist conscientious sharing.