Global InformationMalinformation information
Malinformation is a controversial term for information which is based on fact, but removed from its original context in order to mislead, harm, or manipulate.[1] The term was first coined by media researcher Hossein Derakhshan in a report titled "Information Disorder".[2] According to Derakhshan, examples of malinformation can include "revenge porn, where the change of context from private to public is the sign of malicious intent", or providing false information about where and when a photograph was taken in order to mislead the viewer.[3]
Proponents of the term argue that malinformation is often used in conjunction with disinformation and misinformation as part of "orchestrated campaigns [to] spread untruths", a phenomenon known as fake news.[4] However, critics of the term argue that "unlike 'disinformation,' which is intentionally misleading, or 'misinformation,' which is erroneous, 'malinformation' is true but inconvenient".[5] Journalists have raised concerns that terms such as malinformation expand the definition of "harmful content" to encompass true information that supports non-mainstream views, resulting in people who hold dissenting viewpoints being censored and silenced even if those views are substantiated.[6]
- ^ "Foreign Influence Operations and Disinformation". Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Information Disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making". Freedom of Expression. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Grech, Jacob (2023-03-27). "Personalised media consumption, malinformation and the nature of platforms - In conversation with Hossein Derakhshan". 3CL Foundation. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ "Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training". UNESCO. 2018-09-03. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Sullum, Jacob (22 March 2023). "The Crusade Against 'Malinformation' Explicitly Targets Inconvenient Truths". reason.com. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Wir, Andrey (March 16, 2023). "'Malinformation' and the Wrong Truth : By accepting the concept of "misleading truth," democratic society departs from its foundations". Discourse Magazine.