Misinformation and disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation are forms of content that mislead the audience and are intended to elicit a specific response. They often arise in high-profile and emotionally charged topics, particularly when a great deal of conflicting information is circulating within a short space of time. In such situations, the audience may find it difficult to assess what is reliable and what is merely a suggestion, an interpretation or manipulation.

In practice, there are two main scenarios.

The first is misinformation, which involves the dissemination of false information without malicious intent, for example by friends who ‘want to warn’ or ‘want to help’ but have not checked the content.

The second is disinformation, which involves deliberately misleading people, designed to persuade someone, sow discord, discredit an opponent or cause panic. For the recipient, the most important thing to bear in mind is that the effect can be similar in both cases, which is why it is worth reacting calmly and verifying sources.

Disinformation does not always consist of outright lies. It often uses elements of truth, but presents them in such a way that the recipient draws a different conclusion from that which would follow from the full context. This may involve taking a statement out of context, omitting important details, shifting the emphasis, or presenting facts in a one-sided manner.

A particular example is ‘deepfake’ material – video or audio content that impersonates a specific person. It can appear highly credible, yet depict something that never actually happened. In practice, the audience may see ‘evidence’ in the form of a recording and instinctively assume that it must be true.

Clickbait headlines – designed to stir up emotions and entice people to click – also contribute to the spread of disinformation. Such a headline is often more sensational than the content of the article. It may also suggest something that is not actually implied by the material. As a result, the user makes a decision based on the headline before they have had a chance to calmly assess the information.

It is worth remembering that people often believe information not because they have checked it thoroughly, but simply because it sounds familiar or fits with their existing beliefs. There is also a simple mechanism at work: if the same message is repeated in many places, it begins to seem true. Furthermore, when the content is emotional, people are more likely to react quickly and less likely to analyse the details.

In everyday life, simple warning signs can help. Content without an author or date, without a clear source, and featuring phrases such as ‘nobody is talking about this’, ‘they’re hiding the truth’, ‘urgent’ or ‘share immediately’ is often suspicious. It’s also worth exercising caution when the content contains a lot of sensationalist language or exclamation marks, or when the material features a ‘shocking’ photo or video but doesn’t state where it comes from.