7 Types of Mis- and Disinformation
7 Types of Mis- and Disinformation by Claire Wardle is licensed under CC-By-4.0.
Satire or parody = No intention to cause harm but has potential to fool.
False connection = When headlines, visuals or captions don't support the content.
Misleading content = Misleading use of information to frame an issue or individual.
False context = When genuine content is shared with false contextual information.
Imposter content = When genuine sources are impersonated.
Manipulated content = When genuine information or imagery is manipulated to deceive.
Fabricated content = New content that is 100% false, made to deceive and do harm.
Election Misinformation
"How to Spot Fake News", YouTube, uploaded by FactCheck, December 8, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkwWcHekMdo
NPR Untangling Disinformation
This NPR series examines how widespread the problem of disinformation is, and efforts to overcome it.
Politically charged rumors and conspiracy theories about Helene flourish on X
How AI-generated memes are changing the 2024 election
The Baltimore bridge collapse gave conspiracy theorists a chance to boost themselves
Check out more news stories here.
Defining False News
'False News' can be defined as “Newspaper articles, television news shows, or other information disseminated through broadcast or social media that are intentionally based on falsehoods or that intentionally use misleading framing to offer a distorted narrative”. Kavanagh, Jennifer, and Rich, Michael D. Truth Decay : An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life. Santa Monica, California: RAND, 2018.
Test Yourself!
How news-literate are you?
- Test your news literacy knowledge with these 12 questions.
Source: News Literacy Project