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The Importance of Distinguishing Between Misinformation and Disinformation

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If you have a question about this talk, please contact Yara Kyrychenko.

As disinformation fighters we sometimes use the terms misinformation and disinformation interchangeably amongst ourselves, because we know what we mean and understand how they are similar and different—even if we are fighting both at once. When this carries over into conversations with media and the general public, however, the results can be disastrous. Cable news anchors often prefer the term “misinformation” because it shields them from having to report on strategic denialist campaigns and the people who are behind them as a lie rather than a mistake. As a result, their audience may not appreciate that what we are up against is often more like information warfare than a natural disaster, which marks the difference between being helpless and having the tools to fight back. In this talk I will argue that we sometimes undermine our own efforts in fighting back against disinformation when we fail to distinguish sharply between these two terms.

This talk is part of the Social Psychology Seminar Series (SPSS) series.

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