MIL - LESSON 1 (MISINFORMATION VS. DISINFORMATION)

(MISINFORMATION VS. DISINFORMATION)

FAKE NEWS

experts recommend the public NOT to use it. They argue that these two words are not supposed to be together.

It has been used to label many kinds of content from simple lies to rumors to outdated information to propaganda.

DISINFORMATION

When people intentionally create false or misleading information to make money, have political influence, damage someone’s reputation, or maliciously cause trouble or harm.

MISINFORMATION

When people share disinformation without realizing that it is false or misleading, often because they are trying to help.

ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS EXECUTIVES, DIGITAL INFLUENCERS, PAID TROLLS, GRASSROOTS INTERMEDIARIES, PUBLIC

FIGURES BEHIND THE SPREAD OF DISINFORMATION

SATIRE

• a literary technique that employs humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose flaws and criticize individuals, governments, or society itself.

• can also be dangerous when from its original source, it gets spread online and turned into screenshots or memes, losing its original context in the process.

FALSE CONNECTION

• Clickbaits are the best examples of the use of _________ -- sensational language or imagery used to drive ‘clicks’.

• This is when you encounter a headline or an image designed to capture your attention, but when you click through it, the link leads you to a content that is of no value to you or content that sells you an item or service. 

MISLEADING CONTENT

What counts as __________ can be varied and hard to define, but it usually in- volves omitting pieces of information to tell a story in a certain way.

IMPOSTER CONTENT

We always like to employ mental shortcuts to help us understand information. One very powerful shortcut is seeing a brand or person we already know and trust. When we get information coming from trusted brands or people, we are not as doubtful

FALSE CONTEXT

• When genuine information is shared out of its original context such as when old news stories are re-shared in present time, it can be very dangerous.

• Sometimes, it is only a plain case of misinformation where a person mistakenly re-shares an old story. Other times, the purpose is more deliberate: to mislead the people by sharing information in a different context.

MANIPULATED CONTENT

• genuine content that is altered or edited to change the message.

• It is not completely made-up or fabricated. As long as it fits a story and is good enough to ‘look real’, people may share it. 

FABRICATED CONTENT

• anything that is 100% false.

• This is the only type of content that we can really consider as purely ‘fake’.

• Staged videos, made-up quotes, and fake websites fall under this category. ‘Deepfakes’ or ‘synthetic media’ using Artificial Intelligence (AI).