From breaking news to social media, we are flooded with information constantly in our everyday lives. How can you be sure that what you're seeing is true?
This guide and companion unit will introduce you to strategies that will help you navigate today's complex information environment and be a more conscientious consumer and producer of information.
When it comes to identifying mis- and disinformation, first we need to understand what each of these terms encompasses.
This infographic authored by Claire Wardle from First Draft, a nonprofit education website dedicated to providing educational resources about misinformation, can help us determine the difference:
As you can see, there are several different types of misinformation. These are explained further below:
For a clear explanation of the difference between misinformation and disinformation, see https://www.dictionary.com/e/misinformation-vs-disinformation-get-informed-on-the-difference/.
While we see the term "fake news" used a lot in the media, most news marked as "fake" actually falls under the umbrella of misinformation and disinformation. These stories aren't wholly faked, but are instead masterfully manipulated to be misleading.
