Protecting Yourself From Misinformation Avid Open Access

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 5, 2025, 8:24 PM

protecting yourself from misinformation avid open access

In today’s episode, we’ll explore six strategies that you can use to protect yourself—and your students—from misinformation. For more information about this topic, explore the following AVID Open Access article collection: Become Information and Media Literate. Includes Resources, Fact-Checking and Talking To Your Children When we can’t agree on what’s true, we can’t agree on anything. That’s why misinformation and disinformation (MDI) is so dangerous for our democracy – and why we all have a duty to combat it. In this guide, you’ll learn all about MDI: what it is, how to recognize it, and what to say to loved ones to keep them from falling for it.

What Are Misinformation and Disinformation? First, let’s define our terms, misinformation and disinformation, often combined into MDI. To listen to explicit episodes, sign in. Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates. About this guide: The purpose of this guide is to provide insights and strategies for overcoming confusion around identifying credible information. Over the past decade, our online information landscape has been dramatically transformed.

As a result, telling fact from opinion, and identifying credible journalism, has become more difficult. Whether you are a concerned citizen or an educator, this guide is for you. Misinformation is defined as false, incomplete, inaccurate/misleading information or content which is generally shared by people who do not realize that it is false or misleading. This term is often used as a catch-all for all types of false or inaccurate information, regardless of whether referring to or sharing it was intentionally misleading.Disinformation is false or inaccurate information that is... Wardle created the “7 Types of Information Disorder,” a typology that illustrates and emphasizes the types of information disorder in our media landscape, and this information disorder glossary. This typology was derived from a report commissioned by the Council of Europe.

Essential questions to ask when analyzing information center on the authority of the source/author and the purpose of the information: Authority: Who wrote/sponsored it? Purpose: What do they want me to do with the information? Conspiracy theories and propaganda tap into our deepest fears, emotion, and deeply held beliefs or values. Our tendency toward cognitive biases also helps to make belief in these theories immune to logic. We often wonder how any rational and logical-thinking person could believe in them, but facts don’t win arguments. If you find the tone, language or claims of a piece of information inspire visceral fear or anger, it’s a good idea to investigate the claims elsewhere by cross-referencing them with a variety of...

Find out about ten practical steps to identify disinformation, protect those around you and strengthen democratic resilience against manipulation. Disinformation is deliberately manipulated content, spread to deceive or fool an audience and achieve strategic, political, or economic goals. It is often spread by malign actors who aim to undermine trust in democratic institutions or influence elections.Disinformation is dangerous for democracy because it distorts public debate, polarises society and hinders people's ability to... Here are 10 easy steps you can take to recognise and stop the spread of disinformation: Watch out for headlines designed to generate engagement without regard for accuracy. Look at news content beyond sensational headlines and prioritise substance over sensationalism.

One of the best ways of working out whether something is disinformation is by paying attention to the kind of language it uses. Remain cautious of emotionally charged news stories, as they may be part of a foreign interference campaign designed to influence public opinion. Deceptive language and vague assertions are also frequently used to mislead readers. Look for clear, emotion-free and evidence-based reporting. Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads University Researcher, JD Candidate, Royal Roads University

Jaigris Hodson receives funding from SSHRC CRC and Connections grant programs. Andrea Galizia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Royal Roads University provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA. The following six action steps can help protect you from misinformation and disinformation. It’s probably not surprising that awareness is the first step in protecting yourself. In order to identify misinformation and disinformation, you first need to know what they are and what they might look like:

Also of importance is understanding how these falsehoods can become threats to you, both individually and as a member of a larger society. Explore the AVID Open Access article, Understanding the Basics of Misinformation and Disinformation, to learn more. This action item also involves awareness. If you are aware of how bad actors are trying to draw you in and manipulate you with disinformation, you can be on the lookout for potential deception. If you don’t know what to look for, it’s very difficult to notice misinformation, and it will be much easier to get fooled. To help you and your students develop the skills needed to identify disinformation, the University of Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab has developed an interactive learning experience called Bad News.

This game-based activity encourages you to take on the role of a disinformation agent in order to raise awareness of their tactics. Explore six strategies that you can use to protect yourself—and your students—from misinformation in this new #TechTalkForTeachers! Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/443PBsX #Podcast #Education by Adam Eason | Apr 26, 2023 | Blog | 0 comments “The best defence against misinformation is knowledge.” – Lauren Zimmerman. Information is just a click away in the modern world, and it can be difficult at times to distinguish between fact and fiction.

Misinformation, or false and inaccurate information, can be spread easily and quickly, leading to confusion, fear, and even harm. The prevalence of misinformation has become so widespread that it has been labelled a global problem by the World Economic Forum. But how can we protect ourselves from misinformation and ensure we consume accurate and reliable information? The answer lies in being vigilant, questioning as rigorously as we are able, and critically appraising the information. From verifying the source of information to being wary of sensational headlines, today I’m offering up some practical strategies that can help you become a more informed and discerning consumer of information. It is important to ensure that the source of information is credible and trustworthy.

When evaluating a source, there are several things to consider. First, look at the author’s credentials or the organisation that published the information. Check their background, education, and expertise to determine whether they can speak. For example, a scientist with a PhD in a relevant field would be a more credible source of information on a scientific topic than a random blogger without relevant credentials. Second, consider the reputation of the source. Check whether the organisation or author has a history of publishing accurate and trustworthy information.

Look for reviews or comments from other readers to see if the source is reliable. Third, consider the timeliness of the information. Is the source presenting up-to-date information on the topic, or is the information outdated or no longer relevant? It is important to ensure that the information is current and accurate.

Protecting Yourself From Misinformation Avid Open Access

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