by
Barbara Smith
PCDP Community Engagement Committee Chair
In previous articles, I have written about the differences between misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information—each a component of information disorder. Disinformation is the most common form of information disorder we encounter, and it is deadly. Usually we contend with it online and in social media, but it creeps into conversations and the mainstream. On just one topic, Covid-19, think of the ever more absurd claims about its origins and purported treatments and cures. The crusades against wearing masks and vaccinations have convinced formerly reasonable people that these life saving measures bring them harm. We see that rhetoric infecting our school board meetings as well. We’ll never know how many lives have been lost to Covid disinformation, nor do we know how many others are lost down the disinformation rabbit hole. But we know disinformation is all around us, even if we don’t always know how to detect it.
So, what should we look for? Disinformation comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s information that’s incomplete, distorted, reported out of context, or is outdated. It can also take the form of faulty logic or unsubstantiated conclusions. Hate speech and dog whistles are also a form of disinformation as is the escalating presence of conspiracy theories in our daily lives.
While there is no magic formula, there a few strategies you can use to detect and deflect disinformation. In a 2020 Washington Post article, Geoffrey Fowler outlined a series of steps that we can use to not only identify disinformation but stop its spread.
Step 1: Apply the brakes
If that post, photograph, or article you just saw prompted a strong emotional reaction, take a step back before thinking about sharing. We know that anger and outrage drive social media algorithms and some disinformation is created just for that purpose. Posts asking you to show how much you care by sharing are exploiting that emotional reaction. As Fowler describes it, it’s the digital equivalent of a chain letter.
Step 2: Check the source
What is the reputation of the source of the post you’re thinking about sharing? Even sources with names that sound legitimate can be disinformation factories. One tip that Fowler shares is to make a rule for yourself that you won’t share until you’ve looked at the source’s profile page. Does the person or organization identify themselves as experts in the field about which they are writing? If it claims to be a news outlet, is there a website? How long has the source had their Twitter or Facebook account? Is there a history of posts on the account? Are the topics consistent?
Step 2.5: Don’t Trust Cute Things
What is the source and who posted that adorable picture of the puppy waving a flag? Who created that clever meme? Yes they’re cute, but they spread rapidly and may have an intent that’s not readily apparent. Maybe it’s to gather data about you as you like and share the post. Maybe it’s to see if you are receptive to a certain kind of pitch. But maybe it’s just as innocent as it appears to be. It’s your emotional reaction that’s being sought. When you think it through, you are making a more informed judgement about engaging with the post.
Step 3: Become a Citizen Investigator
Now that your suspicions have been raised, go further. Learn to read laterally, defined in Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers as reading “across many connected sites instead of digging deep into the site at hand.” Can you find other reporting that verifies the content of what you’ve seen or read? Are major news outlets all reporting the same basic facts or does it seem to be only obscure, or blog-based reporting? If the post, photo, or article is a lone outlier, it’s much more likely to be disinformation.
Step 4: When you find disinformation, correct it — carefully
To starve disinformation, we need to avoid amplifying it, i.e., don’t like or dislike, don’t post comments, and of course, don’t share or retweet. Any engagement with a disinformation post or article raises its profile and tells the algorithm to continue to share it. It can be hard not to interact but it’s crucial to stopping the spread of disinformation. There’s no point arguing with whomever posted the disinformation since they likely know exactly what they are doing and are trying to sow confusion and mistrust. Remember, posting misinformation is a mistake, and most people are grateful when you politely provide a correction. Disinformation is purposeful and is rarely posted without intent.
One way to correct the record is to take a screenshot of the post you want to correct, use a photo mark-up function to draw a red line across the photo, then repost the photo with the correct information. Another way is to use a rhetorical device known as the Truth Sandwich. Based on the work of George Lakoff, the Truth Sandwich begins with a common truth, calls out the motives of those posting disinformation, then ends with a repeat of the truth. It’s an effective format for both Twitter and Facebook.
Ready to do more? I encourage you to read this Washington Post article in full. There is more content in it than I am able to share here, and I am indebted to its author, Geoffrey Fowler
I will also be leading a workshop on combating disinformation called Becoming a Disinformation Detective—How to detect it and what to do about it. Look for more information and a link to sign up.