Disinformation vs. Misinformation: A Psychological Primer
Emotions such as fear and outrage make us more susceptible to false news. (📷:universityofcambridge) B efore diving into psychology, we must define our terms . Misinformation is misleading or false information that is spread, regardless of intent . It covers everything from honest mistakes to urban legends. In contrast, disinformation is a form of misinformation that is created and shared on purpose to mislead or manipulate people . In practice, experts often consider disinformation as a subset of misinformation, because it can be hard to know the originator’s intent . For example, a viral hoax about a miracle cure might be pure misinformation (someone misunderstood a fact), while an organised campaign spreading false health scares to sow panic would be disinformation. In either case, the core problem is that the information is false and can have harmful effects on people and society . 'Maria Ressa on the difference between misinformation and disinforma...