AWARENESS: DISINFORMATION.

    As citizens of a democracy, it is important for each of us to be aware of the different tools used by people in positions of power to influence our thoughts and opinions. We recognize that the news uses agenda setting and framing to push our views on small issues, and we can recognize that the government uses propaganda to sway our decisions. Another thing to be on the lookout for is disinformation. Disinformation is a subcategory of propaganda and is defined as false information deliberately spread to influence the audience. Disinformation is used by both government and nongovernment organizations. This use unfortunately happens commonly day to day but has historically been most prominent internationally during wartimes and nationally during elections such as the 2016 presidential election.

    Disinformation is very often confused with misinformation. Throughout media, you see the two words being used interchangeable despite the fact that they are different. Misinformation is the spread of incorrect information mainly by miscommunication, incomplete context, and presenting it in a misleading way. Intent is what distinguishes the two from one another. Disinformation is deliberately deceptive and typically malicious. Perhaps it can be seen as a good thing from the perspective of the person or organization publishing it by justifying to themselves that they are trying to protect the public or themselves, but either way it is lying. This is no surprise, but lying is largely immoral therefore disinformation mainly has a negative connotation. 

    Disinformation can be extremely harmful to society. Not all individuals have the means to cross-check the information they receive or the knowledge of how to do so. This means that the disinformation may be the only thing these people know about specific topics, which can leave a portion of the public blind-sided to the truth. Bigger issues can occur if the false information is harmful to the reputation of a minority group. That kind of disinformation can incite protests or hate crimes and can wrongfully stander people's names and reputations. As I stated, disinformation was a very common tactic used while nations are at war. One example of disinformation was in 1985 with a campaign carried out by the Soviets called Operation INFEKTION. This campaign spread that the United States had created AIDS to use as an ethnic weapon against non-whites and LGBTQ+ people. The Soviets had the goal of influencing global opinion of the United States. 

    Disinformation has grown exponentially because of the impact of social media on society. Social media allows rapid exchange of information without the necessity or ability to check if the information is true before it is posted. False content can trend in mere seconds and completely ruin reputations before it is even investigated. The issue of disinformation on social media is extremely prevalent during election season, blatantly stating false claims to harm each candidate. This presents a danger because some individuals use social media as their main source of news and content. The public can be misinformed which is harmful to a democracy that wants its citizens to make informed decisions and can even incite harmful action.