University of Kwazulu-Natal

Recommendations For Countering Misinformation

Bonisiwe Shabane
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recommendations for countering misinformation

Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. Misinformation is nothing new. It has, however, become ubiquitous and, in some cases, more difficult and time-consuming than ever to debunk. When we first started publishing in 2003 — which predated Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005) and Twitter (2006) — viral misinformation took the form of chain emails. Although they were a problem at the time, chain emails were to misinformation what the Pony Express is to ChatGPT. As the popularity of social media platforms has grown, so too has the scope of viral misinformation and the speed with which it travels.

And this falsehood-fraught environment is increasingly where people get their news. In a survey of U.S. adults last year, the Pew Research Center found that “just over half of U.S. adults (54%) say they at least sometimes get news from social media.” 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. Use these research-based strategies to ensure that truth prevails in your organization. In the spring of 2020, a dangerous threat was making its way around the globe. By March, it was being spread by tens of thousands of hosts per day. Most of its victims, unfortunately, did not realize what they had encountered.

Instead of taking precautions, many went on to become vectors themselves, passing it on and putting others at risk. What was this insidious force? It was misinformation. While misinformation, "fake news," and the "post-truth" era have been buzzwords for several years, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed just how harmful these sources of falsehood can become. After all, the virus and viral misinformation have a symbiotic relationship. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, put it this way: "We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic."

A recent study by Notre Dame faculty in the Center for Network and Data Science found that the outbreak of COVID-19 led to a stunning rise in news articles. In March, when news output on coronavirus peaked, 123,623 articles about the virus appeared in a single day. The research team discovered that less than a quarter (23.6%) of the articles published on the virus came from relatively unbiased sources. The sources that dominate the media landscape were those more likely to spread pseudoscience or even conspiracy theories. The Global Fight Against Information Disorder: Navigating the Murky Waters of Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation The digital age has ushered in an unprecedented era of information accessibility, but this accessibility has a dark side: the proliferation of information disorder.

Misinformation (false information shared unintentionally), disinformation (deliberately false information spread to deceive), and malinformation (true information shared maliciously to cause harm) are eroding public trust and threatening the foundations of democratic societies. Governments worldwide are grappling with the complex challenge of combating this infodemic while safeguarding fundamental freedoms. Rebuilding Trust: The Cornerstone of an Informed Society The first line of defense against information disorder is rebuilding public trust. Erosion of trust in institutions makes citizens more susceptible to misinformation and less likely to accept factual information, even from credible sources. Governments must prioritize transparency, engaging in open communication with the public, acknowledging uncertainties, and readily sharing data.

This approach, exemplified by New Zealand’s successful COVID-19 response, fosters trust and cooperation, crucial elements in navigating complex challenges. As Francis Fukuyama highlighted, societies with high levels of trust are better equipped to manage crises, while mistrust fuels instability. Empowering Citizens: The Importance of Media Literacy Misinformation about outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics is a decades-old problem that has been exacerbated by the rise of the internet and the widespread use of social media. Some false claims may be addressed through sound scientific analysis, suggesting that scientists can help counter misinformation by providing evidence-based, scientifically defensible information that may discredit or refute these claims. This how-to guide provides practical steps that scientists can take to assess mis- or disinformation, determine whether and how they should address it, and effectively communicate the corrective information they develop.

is defined as the unintentional spread of false or misleading information that is shared by mistake or under the presumption of truth. is defined as false, misleading, distorted or isolated factual information that is spread deliberately with the intention to cause harm or damage. EVALUATE the claims to determine whether scientific inaccuracies should be addressed. We’re all swimming in an unprecedented flow of information thanks to the internet, AI, and social media. While these tools have broadened our access to knowledge, they’ve also created an environment where disinformation thrives. Disinformation – the deliberate spread of false or misleading information – threatens systems that rely on shared facts.

Here are 20 everyday ways to counteract disinformation and protect our nation’s fundamental democratic principles. Understand what disinformation is and how it spreads. Recognize common tactics, such as fake news, deepfakes, and manipulated images. Before sharing or believing information, check its source and credibility. Fact-check using reliable fact-checking organizations like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact. Don’t rely on a single source.

Cross-reference information with multiple reputable sources to ensure accuracy. This is known as critical reading or reading horizontally.

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