What is misinformation and disinformation? How does it affect our daily lives? Misinformation and deception are nothing new, but each generation faces new challenges in evaluating new forms of information for facts and accuracy. The rise of the Internet and social media has made checking source credibility particularly challenging.
According to the Library of Congress, fake news is "news stories, disinformation, and hoaxes published online, often through social media, that are deliberately written to attract and mislead readers by exploiting entrenched bias."
As consumers of online media and information, we can combat fake news through close reading and critical analysis.
Misinformation are unintentional mistakes such as inaccurate photo captions, dares, statistics, translations, or when satire is taken seriously.
Disinformation is fabricated and deliberately manipulated audio/visual content. It can also be intentionally created conspiracy theories or rumors.
Malinformation is the deliberate publication of private information for personal or corporate rather than public interest, such as revenge porn. It is also the deliberate change of context, date or time of genuine content.
