Disinformation/misinformation is often disseminated through social media by unknowing individuals attempting to act out of altruism, hoping to share important information with their peers.  Social media’s organization as a series of networks also means these ideas can be spread extremely rapidly.  

University of California, Davis

- Conspiracy Theories
- Propaganda
- Dissemination of False Information
- Impacts of False Information

Categories of False or Misleading Information

Apuke, O. D., & Omar, B. (2020). Fake news and COVID-19: modelling the predictors of fake news sharing among social media users. Telematics and Informatics, 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101475

Fake news and COVID-19: modelling the predictors of fake news sharing among social media users.

Propaganda can be hard to define, but is broadly defined as the intentional manipulation of public opinion with a specific set of goals, often defined by partial truths, opinion, and a blend of truth with outright falsehood.   These nuances make it challenging for less critical audiences to distinguish propaganda from the free exchange of ideas.  Propaganda is created intentionally with these goals but can also be propagated unknowingly.

Propaganda

Conspiracy theories reject the accepted explanation for harmful or tragic events in favor of an explanation focusing on the actions of a powerful group.  Conspiracy theories are often propagated at times of societal unrest, namely during war, economic depression, natural disaster, and pandemic.  Conspiracy theories are not necessarily created to intentionally manipulate an audience, but are generally lacking in legitimate evidence.  Many include false information or false conclusions.  Much like propaganda, conspiracy theories often mix truth with falsehood, making it harder for less critical audiences to distinguish the two.  


Conspiracy Theories

Dissemination of False Information

False information regarding health issues constitutes a probable threat to public health.  While false health information has always existed, in the case of a highly communicable disease like Covid-19, the stakes have become notably higher, while the quantity of contradictory information being thrown at individuals has made it harder to find and trust accurate information.  Two popular false information topics are on the spread of the disease and "tips" on how to stay healthy, or cast doubt on the functioning of institutions.  The first is harmful in fairly self-explanatory ways, the second is harmful as it undermines public trust in institutional efforts to contain the disease.

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