One of the multiple teams within our Media Law and Literacy class this semester covered the topic of the various different types of false information in their second round of “everyone teaches one” presentations. Meghan Flaherty specifically covered the subject of misinformation and disinformation with our class during her presentation. She presented the facts regarding this topic and explained how both types of false information spreading are present at all times, in every type of media consumed by society. Flaherty was open with her peers in the class about how difficult it can be to distinguish between these two categories of untruths - misinformation and disinformation. The understanding that I eventually came to is that there is, in fact, a big difference between the two. It seems that misinformation is false information that has not been published with any intent to harm or mislead the audience.
On the other hand,
disinformation is false information that is published with the full intention of spreading incorrect information and false messages. The publishers of this information hope to influence the public based on lies and less than factual information. She also highlighted the major role that social media plays in the spread of false information, discussing how social media platforms have become hotbeds for the dissemination of both misinformation and disinformation due to their ability to quickly reach a large audience. Flaherty emphasized that media literacy is the biggest and most important tool in combating the spread of false information and encouraged the class to fact-check information before sharing it. Her presentation also discussed the potential consequences of believing and sharing false information, including the erosion of trust in reputable sources as well as the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and beliefs. Overall, Flaherty's presentation served as a reminder of the importance of being critical consumers of media in today's information landscape.
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