Information Wars
Information is available to us all 24/7 thanks to our iPhones (apparently, other phones exist, but why would you?), Chat GPT, GPT3 and now GPT4. Bing and Open AI can produce authoritative-sounding articles in seconds based on content published on the internet. It’s easier than ever to sound superficially knowledgeable about anything. But digital or analogue, all that is written is not created equal. Neither is all “information”.
Four terms are commonly used to describe different types of information: information, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda. These terms all have meanings, and all are used and misused – in ignorance, by mistake or purpose. This post is about understanding and recognising their differences.
Information
Information can be seen as isolated data points at the most basic level. It can be useful, factual, useless or even insignificant. For example, a staccato and commentary-free news article about a specific event such as a sports result, an election result, a temperature in a city, the height of waves or the temperature in the sea weather forecast would be considered information – because it describes an objectively provable fact.
This is why so many who deploy disinformation or propaganda often use the phrase “evidence-based”. Whenever anyone peppers their argument with “evidence-based”, my BS sensor goes into alarm mode!
Objective information can be manipulated to influence people’s beliefs. Politicians, lobbyists, consultants, advocates, startups, businesses, financial institutions, corporate financiers, estate agents, investment banks and umbrella bodies (frankly, anyone in the field of persuasion…) routinely use carefully crafted language and/or selected data points and statistics to present themselves, their positions, products, services or policies in the best possible light. There is a fine line between facts, ambitions and deceit.
Substance vs Spin. Facts vs Froth.
It’s easy to point to the dramatic rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and the story of Theranos as an extreme example of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes, but she has no monopoly on this.
Misinformation
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is spread unintentionally. In our digital world, misinformation, often about a dramatic “OMG fact”, can easily be shared on social media and become “the truth”.
Disinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or misleading information that is spread to deceive the audience. Deceipt on purpose.
Propaganda
Contrary to the previous terms, propaganda is designed to influence and manipulate people’s beliefs and attitudes, often using emotional storytelling and narratives. Sovereign states, state-run media, political parties and companies use this. Not all of them, but some. Freedom of speech and a spirited, free, fair, informed and independent media (that particular 5-circle Venn diagram is pretty damn small) is the best defence against propaganda.
The line between these four terms is blurry. Someone may spread false information to manipulate people’s beliefs, making it both disinformation and propaganda. The best propaganda also contains elements of true information and actual data, making it more difficult for time-deprived people to identify false or misleading information.
Data, Narratives and Storytelling
It’s important to consider the use and misuse of narratives and storytelling.
“The pen is mightier than the sword”
Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839
Storytelling is what filmmakers do and what I do. We tell stories. Stories are usually seen as entertaining and fun, but narratives and storytelling are incredibly powerful and persuasive devices that can also manipulate people’s beliefs and attitudes. I frequently ask myself: “Whose sword am I sharpening?”
Narratives and stories give meaning to isolated data points and help people make sense of the world around them. They join up the dots.
Narratives that gain the most traction are emotionally compelling, even if not entirely accurate, and can reinforce existing prejudices, biases or beliefs rather than provide accurate information. An example is a narrative that portrays a particular group of people as dangerous or threatening, which can be used to stoke fear and prejudice, even if the narrative is based on false information. The most obvious and stark example for me, although there are many current and former examples in every corner of the world, is Hitler’s Germany.
Political campaigns typically rely on narratives to connect with voters and create an emotional connection with the candidate or the party. Political candidates use narratives about their experiences and lives to connect with voters and build trust and empathy. This can be entirely innocent and benign. Storytelling is a normal and everyday human interpersonal communication device we all, consciously or unconsciously, use daily with our family, friends, colleagues and local community. We all present a story and a narrative about ourselves in what we say, how we dress, how we spend our spare time, what we drive, where and how we live, and who we hang around with.
However, political narratives can also manipulate public opinion by creating false or misleading impressions of themselves or their opponents.
How can we decide on what “information” to trust and what to reject?
We are all short on time, and it’s easy and human to depend on “trusted information sources”. This delegation is a big decision. It’s important in the age of digital info-wars to be aware of the use and misuse of narratives and the different types of information when consuming what’s presented as information, and critically evaluating our content source is important.
What else can we do other than check information by using reliable sources, such as news outlets (but who owns them, and do they have an agenda?), scientific journals (do they always welcome new schools of thought?), or fact-checking websites (are all fact-check websites always without an agenda? It’s a great claim and a reassuring label – just like “evidence-based”).
Additionally, we all have our own biases and prejudices and our actual “willingness to learn” and openness to considering multiple perspectives is usually less than we claim.
Information, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda are all important terms describing different information types. Understanding and being aware of the differences between these terms can help us to identify false or misleading information and to make informed (information – gettit?) decisions. It’s equally important to be aware of the use and misuse of narratives, as they can also be used to manipulate our beliefs, attitudes and actions. If we are critical about what we consume, we can maybe ensure that we make (more) decisions based on accurate and reliable information.
Fake News
I should discuss the term Fake News and its use and other tactics to counter, discredit and undermine existing narratives, stories and messengers, but that’s a separate post….
The text below is an update in November 2023…
I recently attended a panel discussion on propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation in the United Kingdom Parliament. It was deeply frustrating and annoying because, except for one of the panellists, the panel spoke about these topics as if they were things other people did. We are all biased, and we all have biases. Two speakers spoke using loaded vocabulary and only cited one-sided examples of misinformation. Goodies and Baddies. For them, their truth was The Truth. Misinformation, disinformation and propaganda were the weapons of the Baddies. I had hoped that they would have displayed a level of self-awareness and acknowledged the fact that we all have biases and agendas.
I have an agenda for writing this article. Every writer has an agenda. I want to talk about it and vent … but I also want to: 1. provide my readers with information and 2. demonstrate that I have knowledge, understanding and even (cue eye-roll) some level of expertise in communications. I also would like you to think that I am self-aware and even-handed. Irony, right?
Silence
One of the most interesting contributions to this panel debate came from a member of the audience. Who also had an agenda. Her social media showed her to be partisan (which I recognise is a loaded term), and she had strong opinions. Her strong and interesting point was that deliberate silence is also part of propaganda. Overlooking the plight of individuals or groups, suppressing news, distracting with “dead cats on the desk”, banning journalists, denying access to areas or people… all these things that control information are components of propaganda. I believe that every government that has a Ministry for Information should be treated with scepticism. A healthy, robust and fearless media is a great safeguard against this.
Misinformation Tactics
Burying Bad News
“Take out the rubbish” days are opportunities for governments and organisations to something that they have to communicate without it being noticed or getting the attention it deserves. – but do it on a busy day when the headlines focus on other news items.
Dead Cats
To “throw a dead cat on the table” is to create a distraction that is often outrageous, disgusting or alarming, that takes attention away from something else that the dead cat thrower doesn’t want the focus of the media or the public to be. The nature of the dead cat is immaterial – the key point is that it distracts the most precious commodity: attention. By the time people have stopped reacting to the “dead cat”, the problem issue has become “old news”, and people have moved on.
Malinformation
This word was used incorrectly at the panel as a catch-all for negative information. Malinformation is truth used to damage or harm a person, organisation or country. Truth used with bad intent. It refers to “information that stems from the truth but is often exaggerated in a way that misleads and causes potential harm.” Malinformation usually entails a change in, or distortion of, context.