8- Misinformation, Disinformation, and Fact-Checking

 Keeping the Facts Straight in a Digital Age

With the surplus of information that is passed between people every day on the internet, incorrect and misleading information are unfortunately far too common. Whether it be intentional or not, false information can mislead people from every walk of life. In order to ensure that you are in the know on what is correct and what isn't, it's important to be familiar with ways to verify your sources and avoid misinformation. 

What are Misinformation and Disinformation?

Misinformation is false information that is not spread intentionally to harm others. This can include mistakenly incorrect data that is spread as well as unverified rumors. Other types of media such as inaccurate translations and satire that is taken seriously are classified as misinformation. Despite misinformation being caused by mistakes, they can often be believed by uninformed individuals. 

Rumors are one of the largest causes of spreading misinformation with many of the most popular celebrities becoming victims. One example of this is the rumor that Taylor Swift was planning to move to Canada due to the political climate in the United States. In March of 2025, she stated "I'm moving to Canada and never coming back to the United States. I don't want to breathe the same air as that jerk", referring to Elon Musk. 

Despite the post seeming literal, it was only an expression of frustration. However, many people took it literally and believed that she was planning to leave the country. 

Disinformation is false information that is intentionally spread for the purpose of misleading others. This can include a variety of falsified content such as altered data, deepfakes, and edited images. In media, it can include purposely withholding information in order to cause an audience to believe their claims and this can also extend to conspiracy theories. 

Carlos Diaz Ruiz conducted a study alongside Toman Nilsson studied videos in which people argued in favor of the Flat Earth Theory. While watching, they noticed that the theorists used specific arguments that tackled other arguments including religious topics rather than debate the rationality of how a flat earth would be possible. This method is another form of disinformation, as the theorists tried to prove their own validity by moving attention to their personal beliefs, rather than an argument that can be fact-checked. By connecting with other people who may believe the same things about other arguments, they were intentionally misleading people to think that the Flat Earth Theory would also be in line with their personal beliefs.

Misinformation and Disinformation in Social Media

According to Yale Insights, misinformation and disinformation are commonly shared across social media platforms due to users being either ill-informed or believing that the information is important for other to see. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as false information was constantly spreading amongst the flow of credible announcements from the Center for Disease Protection and Control. Gizem Ceylan, a researcher at Yale, conducted a study with habitual FaceBook users to observe whether they would share news headlines that were false or correct. Based on her observations, very few of the false headlines were chosen to be spread. Despite this, she also observed that the social media algorithm allowed many people to see the false headlines after being shared by just one person which allowed the false information to be promoted by the app itself. 

How to Avoid False Information

With how prevalent false information is in everyday life, it is important to fact-check information that may seem questionable or unreliable. According to Wright State University, some good methods for verifying information include finding the original source, checking with other news sources, and using fact-checking sites. Following these steps can provide conclusive answers on whether a source is providing credible information and can even lead to sources that provide a broader view of the issue that is being researched. 

It is incredibly important to stay connected with verified information in order to be completely informed about modern events. Even with the widespread issue of misinformation and disinformation, it is possible to make sure that the content that you are seeing is correct by using proper fact-checking methods. By ensuring that the news you see is credible, you can stay informed without falling into the trap of believing false information.