Dis-, Mis-, Mal-information: How the type of lie determines the tactics of combating It

What do an accidental typo in a news story, a malicious prank, and a personal data leak all have in common? These are all types of false information, but they require different approaches to combating them. In this article, we’ll explore the differences and how to develop the right verification tactics for each type.

The lack of clear terminology seriously hinders work in any field, as it leads to misunderstandings among specialists, hindering communication and the development of universal methods and tools. This problem is particularly pronounced in the humanities and interdisciplinary research. However, it is also characteristic of new, unestablished fields, including fact-checking. Misunderstandings of terminology complicate verification, as different types of unreliable information require specific solutions for verification and counteraction.

Types of false information by method of distribution:

Misinformation is the dissemination of false information without the intent to deceive.
It is characterized by the absence of malicious motivation and is often associated with human errors in perception and transmission of information. However, there are various variations of this phenomenon.

Inaccurate reporting, recording of facts due to haste or incomplete analysis (error in indicating the date, location of an event in the news, etc.), materials with erroneous data, figures, statistics, expert assessments, distributed without malicious intent, as well as rumors and unverified information that is disseminated without confirmation.

The dissemination of misinformation can have serious consequences, manifested in changes in people’s behavior. For example, the tendency to systematically present false information in the media is one of the reasons for the decline in trust in them. In the scientific community, incorrect data can distort the results of all subsequent studies based on it.

Speaking about medicine, the consequences of misinformation about medications and treatments can be tragic. For example, in Nigeria, several cases of overdose were reported after information was disseminated about the potential benefits of chloroquine (a drug used to treat malaria) against COVID-19.

In the economic sphere, misinformation can impact the investment attractiveness of projects, organizations, and market sectors, either enhancing or detracting from it. For example, an unverified message about Barack Obama, who was injured in the explosion, briefly crashed the US stock market.

Disinformation (targeted disinformation) is false information deliberately spread with the intent to deceive recipients, undermine trust, or damage reputation. There are a huge number of types and mechanisms of disinformation, from emotional memes to conspiracy theories. This versatility allows it to be effectively attacked from various angles, making it a dangerous information weapon.

Satire and parodies are deliberately false information disseminated without the intent to cause harm, for comedic effect. However, as it spreads, the original humorous effect may be lost, resulting in it being perceived as a genuine news story.

For example, the French satirical news website Le Gorafi published an article about Emmanuel Macron, which reported that he felt dirty after shaking hands with a poor person, which subsequently affected his perception by the audience, causing reputational damage.

Misrepresentation of authorship and fabricated content is the dissemination of completely fictitious and false information with the aim of deceiving the audience. For example, fake channels of politicians and celebrities may be created to disseminate false statements.

This category also includes the distribution of deepfakes based on real videos or photographs. For example, a specially created website distributed a video of Elon Musk, allegedly inviting cryptocurrency owners to participate in his “prize giveaway.” GFCN experts determined that the video was a deepfake and the website was the brainchild of scammers.

Malinformation (malicious or compromising information) is truthful information disseminated with the intent to cause harm; true data taken out of context, transmitted with the intent to discredit, violate privacy, or create reputational or social risks. Importantly, malicious intent is accompanied by the publication of real, but unauthorized or intentionally distorted information.

This phenomenon can be divided into the following types:

– Leaks of personal data and private information, compromising data. This could range from the publication of hacked databases of organizations with ordinary users, which occurs regularly around the world, to political consequences, as in the case of the publication of data on the Clinton Foundation by WikiLeaks.

– Using truthful  facts or images taken out of context, which creates a distorted perception. This is especially true of photographs and videos. Thus, taken out of context photographs of empty shelves taken after the earthquake in Japan were circulated as a consequence of the planned economy under socialism.

This also includes the use of titles or captions that do not correspond to the content of the material, including clickbait.

Framing and one-sided presentation are the coverage of an event or topic from a particular perspective, which can lead to conflicting interpretations or assessments of the incident. An example of this is the focus on the nationality of the perpetrator of a crime, which creates the impression, disconnected from the overall statistics on the rise in ethnic crime, leading to increased interethnic tensions.

Fact-checking tactics based on the nature of fake news distribution

– In case of an unintentional misinformation, fact-checking is necessary, including verification against official data and the original source, as well as an expert assessment to identify any potential errors. In this case, as part of a communications strategy, it is possible to contact the author, channel, or organization that carried out the leak to jointly correct the error or clarify the data.

– In case of malicious dissemination, it is also necessary to monitor the channels of the fake news and network activity, identify botnets, etc. This is because the latter are often used to amplify the spread of a news story, as the ultimate goal is to influence the audience. However, in this case, a friendly communication strategy with the authors of the fake news will not work. Instead, it is appropriate to conduct public refutation campaigns, identifying the source of the deliberate dissemination of false information and collaborating with fact-checking platforms to enhance the effect.

The same is true for malinformation, which requires clarification of context and its identification in rebuttals, as well as an ethical review of privacy issues in the event of leaks.

The development of any professional field, including fact-checking, is based on unified terminology. Therefore, the classification of false information is necessary for choosing the correct verification method, formulating a reasonable refutation, and developing a communication strategy for the source of the fake.