What is Mis-, Dis-, or Malinformation (MDM)?
In the digital age, information flows freely and swiftly, especially during election seasons. As we’ve seen, the rapid dissemination of information can significantly influence public perception and voting behavior. However, the spread of false or misleading information—categorized into three types: misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation—can, when unchecked, pose a significant threat to the integrity of elections and democracy itself. Understanding these terms and their distinctions is extremely helpful when working to recognize and combat their harmful effects.
What is Misinformation? The Unintentional Spread of False Information.
Misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information that is spread without the intent to deceive. Individuals who share misinformation often believe the content to be true and may spread it out of concern or a desire to inform others. For instance, during elections, a person might share an incorrect closing time for a polling location, thinking they are helping others.
The danger of misinformation lies in its potential to mislead large numbers of people unintentionally. Even without malicious intent, misinformation can cause confusion, reduce voter turnout, and undermine trust in the electoral process. Once misinformation takes root, correcting it becomes challenging because the initial false message often spreads more widely and rapidly than subsequent corrections.
What is Disinformation? Deliberate Deception for Malicious Purposes.
Disinformation is false information that is deliberately created and spread with the intent to deceive. This type of information is typically crafted to manipulate public opinion, influence political outcomes, or cause harm to specific groups or individuals. During elections, disinformation campaigns might be orchestrated by political operatives, foreign actors, or other entities seeking to disrupt the democratic process. For example, Russia is known to use this tactic on social media.
Disinformation might involve fabricating news stories about a candidate’s criminal activities, falsely attributing inflammatory quotes, or creating fake social media profiles to spread untruths. The deliberate nature of disinformation makes it particularly insidious because it exploits people's trust in each other and the rapid spread of information on social media platforms.
The impact of disinformation can be severe, leading to polarization, voter suppression, and violence. It undermines informed decision-making by creating false narratives that can sway elections and erode confidence in democratic institutions.
What is Malinformation? Exaggerated or Misconstrued Information Based on Reality.
Malinformation involves the sharing of genuine information with the intent to manipulate context to cause harm. Unlike misinformation and disinformation, malinformation is based on reality but is used selectively or out of context to mislead, harm reputations, or incite violence. During elections, malinformation might include selectively edited videos or true information exaggerated to appear more sinister.
The danger of malinformation is its ability to distort public discourse based on truths taken out of context. For instance, the fact that a single polling location temporarily ran out of ballot paper might be used to argue for widespread election interference. Malinformation thrives on the strategic presentation of facts that can mislead and manipulate the audience by framing reality in a misleading light.
The Collective Threat to Democracy
While each type of false information poses its own risks, their collective impact on elections – and democracy generally – can be significant. Misinformation can create confusion and distrust among voters, disinformation can manipulate and polarize the electorate, and malinformation can sway public opinion through selective truth. Together, they undermine the core democratic principle of informed decision-making.
What You Can Do
A coordinated effort between governments, tech companies, civil society, and the public is crucial to address the multifaceted nature of these threats. Sharing knowledge, resources, and strategies can enhance the effectiveness of combating false information. Here is what you can do:
People need to be educated about the distinctions and dangers of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. Whoever you are, you have a platform and a sphere of influence. Share this blog post or this resource from the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and help elevate critical thinking and media literacy skills as essential for discerning the credibility of information.
Sign up for the News Literacy Project’s RumorGuard. RumorGuard email alerts give you timely reminders to help push back against viral mis, dis, and malinformation.
If you are a Jewish organization, join our network! The Jewish Partnership for Democracy was built to support institutions interested in working together to protect and strengthen American democracy. In 2024, we have a specific focus on helping ensure free, fair, safe, and accessible elections – including a number of new resources (including funding!) on combating MDM meant to disrupt the electoral process.
Note: Elements of this blog post were written using the help of generative AI. As with anything, not all AI is good and not all AI is bad. We encourage you to be conscientious consumers of information regardless of the source.
We are grateful to our partners at JBI International for sharing a RBF copy of this resource and look forward to adding more accessible materials to our website soon.
