Jay Doubleyou: covid conspiracy, mis/disinformation and fake news

COVID CONSPIRACY

A conspiracy newspaper is being distributed in small town UK: Conspiracy ‘newspaper’ distributed around Sidmouth | Sidmouth Herald and Conspiracy newspaper The Light still circulating in Sidmouth | Sidmouth Herald

Since the pandemic, however, there has been what many consider to be a very disturbing ‘challenge to complacency’ happening in another small town:

As residents in Totnes went about their usual Sunday routines, an unknown number of volunteers were busy posting copies of ‘The Light’ through letterboxes across town Anger in Totnes as Covid ‘anti-vax’ propaganda posted through letterboxes – Devon Live

This has been the starting point to a new series on BBC Radio 4:

What’s happening in the Devon town of Totnes? The small town of Totnes in Devon is known for its warmth and open-mindedness, gong baths and healing crystals, but a fault line has emerged between the minority who’ve been drawn in by disinformation laced with hate and those who are fighting against it. Some in the town were drawn into a conspiracy theory movement during the pandemic, one whose monthly marches and rallies persist to this day. A conspiracy theory newspaper called The Light seems to have played a key part in the division there. BBC disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how the theories that dominate its pages are changing the town. Marianna in Conspiracyland – 1. Entering Conspiracyland – BBC Sounds

The wider media has taken up the story: The Light: Inside the UK’s conspiracy theory newspaper that shares violence and hate – BBC News and ‘Conspiracy theories have become normalised in the UK’, says BBC disinformation correspondent Marianna Spring

‘DISINFORMATION’ IS NOT THE SAME AS ‘MISINFORMATION’

There is an awful lot of misinformation and disinformation out there – and it’s important to see the difference between the two as a starting point:

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information—getting the facts wrong. Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead—intentionally making the misstating facts. The spread of misinformation and disinformation has affected our ability to improve public health, address climate change, maintain a stable democracy, and more. Misinformation and disinformation

Scholars who study the spread of false information define ‘misinformation’ as false information without the intent to cause harm, and distinguish it from ‘disinformation’ as false information that is shared with the intent to cause harm. Misinformation is not intentional, but disinformation is, and we must remember that. Since at least 2020, according to Google Trends, Google searches for the term “misinformation” are more frequent than for “disinformation.” Because there is a lack of clarity over the meanings of terms to describe false information, sometimes disinformation (which is intentional) is classified as misinformation (which is unintentional). I will show that underestimating the intent of disinformation by labeling it as misinformation serves to propagate the harms of disinformation. What’s the Difference between Disinformation and Misinformation? – Union of Concerned Scientists

VERIFY AND INVESTIGATE

There are reliable media organisations intent on uncovering mis/disinformation: Explaining the ‘how’ – the launch of BBC Verify – BBC News and bellingcat – the home of online investigations

Much of it is about dealing with conspiracy theories: Americast – Conspiracies: Inside the Rabbit Hole – BBC Sounds and BBC Sounds – Things Fell Apart – Available Episodes and BBC Radio 4 – The Coming Storm and BBC Sounds – Conspiracies: The Secret Knowledge – Available Episodes

What are the conspiracy theories you are aware of?

Psychology of Conspiracy Theories: Why Do People Believe Them?

The enduring appeal of conspiracy theories - BBC Future

Fake or fact: how to recognise a conspiracy theory | Psychology | The Guardian

How do young people deal with mis/disinformation?

Dealing with fake news | Internet Matters

Dealing with propaganda, misinformation and fake news - Democratic Schools for All

Empowering young people to tell fake from fact – DW – 10/06/2020

Where do you go for your news?