What is Misinformation and Disinformation? DEMO
Source: CBC Kids News. “What Is Fake News - Explained L CBC Kids News.” YouTube, 21 Nov. 2018, youtu.be/RDOFt1tFYx8?si=SuFexZVyM9PHeewz. Accessed 16 July 2024.
False information comes in various forms - Deepfakes, disinformation, fake news, malinformation, and misinformation.
- Deepfakes contain audio, video, or image disinformation that can be difficult to tell apart from real content.
- Disinformation and fake news are deliberately created to resemble real news to trick people or influence their opinions.
- Malinformation refers to information that stems from the truth but is often exaggerated in a way that misleads and causes potential harm.
- Misinformation is unintentionally false, while disinformation is intentionally misleading.
How to spot misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
Here are tips and tricks to help spot misinformation and disinformation. Ask yourself questions as you assess information, such as:
Who
- Who wrote it?
- Most authors who put time into a well-researched article will likely have their name attached to it.
- What are their qualifications? Is the author an expert in the field? Does the author work at a reputable organization? Are the articles well-researched?
- What other articles have they written?
- What does the "About Us" section say?
- Does the site have experienced and skilled journalists and writers? Can the general public contribute?
What
- Does the article represent all sides of the topic?
- Are the sources reliable? Do they support the claims being made?
- Are direct quotes used and are they taken out of context?
- Does the content match the headline of the article?
- Are there any spelling or grammatical errors in the text?
When
- When was the article published?
- Was the article repurposed or updated?
- Are there similar articles written by other news organizations?
Where
- Does this web address (URL) look correct?
- Are you directed to a page you did not mean to go to?
- Did I find this on Social Media?
- Did I find this on a vlog/blog/website?
- Did I find this in the news media?
Social media (e.g. Facebook, X, Instagram) lets users easily share information with each other.
Many of these platforms display 'news' items, ads and 'sponsored content' in a way that make it tricky to tell real news sources from spoofed sites or hoax sites.
Most social media sites sell their ads through marketing brokers, so they often have no idea what is being advertised on their site.
This makes social media platforms an ideal place for misinformation, disinformation and fake news to spread.
Fact checking websites
Canadian arm of the global digital verification service.
A project of the nonpartisan, non-profit Annenberg Public Policy Center which monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players, such as politicians and lobbyists.
A fact checking and debunking website that searches for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information.
Includes a searchable database of media sources and articles that are categorized according to bias, from extreme left to extreme right. Note that "bias" is being in favour for or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is inaccurate, closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Bias is subjective, and not the same thing as "fact."
Canada's Centre for Digital Media Literacy.
An independent website that covers urban legends, modern folklore, internet rumours, and other stories of questionable origin.
This virtual newsroom of middle and high school students use social media to debunk misinformation and share media literacy tips.
Another independent myth-busting website, this one focuses on dubious stories that resurface year after year, instead of "breaking" news and current events.
Library resources
This reading list includes titles about misinformation, disinformation and other media literacy subjects for further reading and resources for further research.
For Children's books, check out Books for Kids about Misinformation.
How to Spot Misinformation/Disinformation
Access programs and resources to help you navigate safely in this fast-changing digital world.
Access programs and resources to help you navigate safely in this fast-changing digital world.
When in doubt, ask a librarian! Librarians are trained on how to search for information and how to evaluate it, and we can help you find reliable information both online and in print. You can book a 30 or 60-minute appointment with a librarian for help with research.
Misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and social media