Misinformation

Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. It differs from disinformation, which is deliberately deceptive and propagated information. Early definitions of misinformation focused on statements that were patently false, incorrect, or not factual. Therefore, a narrow definition of misinformation refers to the information's quality, whether inaccurate, incomplete, or false. However, recent studies define misinformation per deception rather than informational accuracy because misinformation can include falsehoods, selective truths, and half-truths.

Research on how to correct misinformation have focused on fact-checking. However, one can fact-check news, but not beliefs, and studies show that fact-checking can backfire. Others studied what makes people susceptible to misinformation. People may be more prone to believe misinformation because they are emotionally connected to what they are listening to or are reading. The role of social media has made information readily available to society at anytime, and it connects vast groups of people along with their information at one time. Advances in technology has impacted the way people communicate information and the way misinformation is spread. Misinformation has impacts on societies' ability to receive information which then influences our communities, politics, and medical field.

The term came into wider recognition during the mid 2000s through the early 2020s, when its effects on public ideological influence began to be investigated. The term has been used to obfuscate legitimate and true speech, and warp political discourses. However, misinformation campaigns have existed for hundreds of years.