Fake News, Misinformation & Disinformation

Meet Your Librarian

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Marla Beebe
she/her/hers
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Contact:
2nd Floor, Rm 266A
740-351-3461

Important Definitions

The term "Fake News" has come to mean different things to different people. For some, a statement with which a person disagrees could be labeled "Fake News" even though it's factually correct. Some have opted not to use the term and use "misinformation" and "disinformation," instead.


So let's focus on the terms "Misinformation" and "Disinformation."

Misinformation: “Incorrect or misleading information”* spread regardless of the intent to mislead. Sometimes used interchangeably with disinformation

Disinformation: “False information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth”**

*Misinformation. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misinformation
**Disinformation (n.d.). In Merriam –Webster dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinformation