The term "fake news" is not new, but how it has been used in recent years to impact our local and national conversations around economic, political, societal, and public health issues is something that needs to be considered.
Understanding the various ways that fabricated information is produced and shared -- and the motivations behind it -- is important. Further, knowing how to evaluate the quality of information you find online is crucial to understanding whether what you are viewing is true or not. It's also a key life skill.
In a paper published by First Draft News, scholar Claire Wardle identifies three types of information, falling under the umbrella of “information disorder”:
Misinformation = False content that is unintentionally or unknowingly disseminated.
Disinformation = False content that is intentionally disseminated with intent to harm.
Malinformation = Genuine content that is intentionally disseminated with intent to harm.
