For democracies all over the world, disinformation has become one of the biggest threats. Often such disinformation can lead to violence and dangerous consequences. Leaders or political parties with vested interests try to spread disinformation to meet their objectives, or to mobilize the masses.
This can be a big challenge even for policymakers on how to address such situations created by the disinformation. It is therefore important to verify the news or obtain them from trusted sources like Otherweb. This news app is backed by AI for detecting misinformation and fake news. You can read the latest political news or science news with the hands-free reading feature.
Different types of information –
- Disinformation: This is a type of false information that is spread by a certain person, organization, social group, or country to harm people.
- Misinformation: This is also false information but may not be created to harm the public.
- Mal-information: Information can be fact-based however, can be twisted to harm some people or organizations.
- Hate speech: These are kind of communication or speech that is deliberately spread against certain groups to confuse people based on any of theirs:
- Religion
- Ethnicity
- Nationality
- Race
- Color
- Descent
- Gender
- Other identity factors.
How to counter such disinformation?
Although mob psychology is difficult to control when disinformation becomes too widespread, however, the following are a few ways to counter them:
Avoid repeating false information –
Even if the false information is repeated again and again, then people start believing it to be true. Often politicians may try this trick to achieve their vested interest. Repeating correct information becomes necessary when correct news is distorted by people.
Collaborate with social media organizations –
Often wrong information can spread very fast through social media as these days’ internet can spread the news very fast. Therefore, it is essential to collaborate with social media organizations to control the spread of such wrong news. These organizations must use their platforms effectively to counter the misinformation.
Use effective tools to correct misinformation –
Psychological research indicates that correcting misperceptions can shift health beliefs, yet it may not fully translate to behavior change. Combating misinformation requires not only accurate guidance but also evidence-based approaches fostering healthy behavior, like counseling and social norms.
Take the help of trusted sources to counter misinformation –
Individuals propagate misinformation due to various factors, including alignment with their identity, negligence in assessing accuracy, or finding it gratifying. Effective mitigation involves disseminating corrections through trusted figures like religious and political leaders. Success hinges on addressing the multifaceted and interconnected motivation driving misinformation dissemination.
Counter disinformation with evidence-based information –
Research indicates debunking misinformation is generally effective globally, yet may not fully eradicate misperceptions. Effective corrections should accompany misinformation, emphasizing accurate information retrieval. Trustworthy sources, detailed explanation of falsehoods, and repetition through evidence-based methods enhance debunking’s efficacy over time.
Conclusion
Disinformation poses a grave threat to democracies, often inciting violence and chaos. Policymakers must prioritize verification and reliance on trusted sources for news. To counter disinformation, avoid amplifying it, collaborate with social media, employ fact-checking tools, and promote evidence-based information dissemination.
