Fake News & Media Literacy

Fake News and Beyond: Types of Information Content

Adapted and extended based on the definitions used by Melissa Zimdars' Open Sources project.

• Fake News: Sources that entirely fabricate information, disseminate disinformation and deceptive content, or grossly distort actual news reports.
• Misinformation: False information that is spread regardless of an intent to mislead.
• Disinformation: False claims and information and conspiracy theories that are spread with the intent to mislead.
• Deep Fakes: Use of video software to create events that never happened or distort a person's statements for propaganda purposes or to discredit public figures for political gain.
• Satire: Sources that use humor, irony, exaggeration, ridicule, satire, and false information to comment on current events.
• State-sponsored News: Sources, particularly in repressive or authoritarian states, operating under government sanctions and control that spread disinformation and misinformation. Propaganda.
• Junk Science: Sources that promote discredited conspiracy theories or scientifically false or dubious claims.
• Hate News: Sources that actively promote racism, misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of harmful bias and discrimination.
• Clickbait: Sources that provide generally credible content, but use exaggerated, misleading, or questionable headlines, social media descriptions, and/or images.
• Political: Sources that provide generally verifiable information in support of certain points of view or political orientations.
• Credible: Sources that circulate news and information in a manner consistent with traditional and ethical practices in journalism. (Remember: even credible sources sometimes rely on clickbait-style headlines or occasionally make mistakes. No news organization is perfect, which is why a healthy news diet consists of multiple sources of information, especially sources that issue corrections on previous reporting).

Disinformation

Disinformation, also called propaganda or fake news, refers to any form of communication that is intended to mislead. The information in the communication is purposefully false or contains a misrepresentation of the truth. Disinformation can be used by individuals, companies, media outlets, and even government agencies.

Types of Disinformation

• Misleading content, or information and half-truths presented in such a way as to place a person or an issue in a negative light.
• Imposter content, or information from a source that deliberately impersonates a known and trustworthy source.
• False content, where legitimate, truthful content is mixed with intentionally false content to give credibility to the false content.
• Fabricated content, or information that is composed completely of information the source knows to be false.
• False connection, or information that implies something in a headline, photo, video clip, or caption that is not a fair representation of the body of the article or other content.
• Manipulated content, or content that is intentionally altered to create a false impression. An example is photo-shopping an individual into a photo at an event where he or she was were not present.

Source: Disinformation: Overview. MIT Libraries

Interactive map of government action on disinformation - Put curser on location for status, click for details