What Is Disinformation?
According to Wikipedia, 'Disinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. It may include the distribution of forged documents, manuscripts, and photographs, or propagation of malicious rumors and fabricated intelligence. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation
Disinformation is part of our life – in what we read, hear, or see. It can make people feel insecure and doubtful, make people believe that a matter is clear when it is not. Areas where disinformation is commonplace:
- Economics and finance
- Media
- Science
- Education
- Governments
- Environmentalists
- Medicine
- Real Estate
- Politics
- Companies Marketing
In summary - everywhere!!!!
How can we find out if our information is genuine, i.e. not a deliberate clouding of the facts? How can we know if and when an information is presenting only one side of a multifaceted issue? Some simple measures include:
- Talking to people of varied educational backgrounds, cultures and countries.
- Reading on the topic in as many different magazines out of as many different countries, with varied political interests, and in as many languages as possible.
- In the area of science, look for peer reviews and comments
- Rely on people one trusts out of personal experience.
- Use the web, but discriminately. Not everything on the web is true.
- While reading, look for certain phrasings in the text that may carry a hint that what sounds clear-cut and firm is actually anything but.
The following article, Detecting disinformation without radar, by Gregory Sinaisky and published in the Asia Times, is a helpful starting point.
