From unsubstantiated claims of election fraud to vaccine conspiracies, a state of “information disorder” has consumed the online ecosystem in recent years. Consisting of mis-, dis- and malinformation, the phenomenon can be difficult for journalists to understand, study and combat.

Dr. Claire Wardle, the co-director of the Information Futures Lab at Brown University, discussed information disorder in the health sector and beyond during a recent ICFJ Disarming Disinformation master class, held in partnership with the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.

Wardle, who also co-founded the misinformation education site First Draft, offered essential advice to journalists who want to research and combat the issue.

Mis-, dis- and malinformation

Although often used interchangeably, mis-, dis- and malinformation are distinct components of information disorder. “If we don't get the categories right [when defining them], we can't study it,” Wardle cautioned.

• Misinformation is “the sharing of false or misleading content because of a belief that it will help,” said Wardle. The average person is the biggest spreader of misinformation: they may share information without first verifying whether it’s accurate or not, or because they genuinely believe it is true.
• Malinformation refers to truthful information that intends to cause harm. For example, a documentary released in the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. elections included videos of ballot boxes that the movie's producers linked to...

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