According to Scripps News:
- Misinformation is often spread by everyday people hoping to shed insider knowledge of an event or to push their own beliefs.
- Disinformation is purposely spreading lies, sometimes through state-sponsored media.
In modern wartime, there are many images and videos of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza being manipulated, fabricated, or reused from historical events to persuade news viewers toward a certain perspective. Sometimes, this is done purposefully, as in disinformation, and sometimes, it is spread by regular users with good intentions but false information, as in misinformation.
What can we do to make it more likely the information we share is accurate? One expert recommends, “Have a look to see who the original poster is. See what their political leanings might be. Do they have any kind of reason to spread information that might be false?”
Watch the video on this page to learn more.