THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MIS AND DISINFORMATION

Misinformation has been around as long as human history, and the Internet made it worse. Ever since
social media became widespread, increasing consumption of news and article have caused
misinformation to run wild.

Different kinds of misinformation and cherry-picked stories have been used throughout history as a form
of propaganda or information warfare. However, the rise of social media as a place for sharing various
content has spread “fake news,” misleading information presented as legitimate news, all over the
internet.

With that in mind, a non-profit journalism project First Draft News has categorized types of fake news
and arranged them from least to most intentional. This is done so for people to spot fake news easier.

Source: [https://firstdraftnews.org/latest/fake-news-complicated/]

Graphics from Visual Capitalist

[https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/How-to-Spot-Fake-News-full2.jpg]

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1. SATIRE/PARODY

This is the type of fake news that is intended to mock or laugh at an issue. If satire is made without being
disclaimed as a parody, these types of articles can still mislead readers and be deemed as “real.”

EXAMPLE:

“PNP CHIEF SINAS, PINAG-IINGAT SA AFRICAN SWINE FEVER”

https://www.facebook.com/PHReadPlus/posts/228112779007371
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2. FALSE CONNECTION

These are stories with headlines and visuals that do not connect to the content. Sometimes the cause is
an honest mistake or poor journalism, but other times these are intentional to draw more attention.

EXAMPLE:
“Did the UN Say Taking Kids to Church Violates Their Human Rights?”

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/taking-kids-to-church-violates-rights/

3. MISLEADING CONTENT

Misleading information is used to frame an issue or a person, especially one not involved in the story.
This can be caused by either poor reporting, or political influence. But this is also caused by opinions
being taken as legitimate news and blurring the line between the two.

EXAMPLE:

“Pope Francis shocks world by endorsing Trump for President”

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/30/read-all-about-it-the-biggest-fake-news-stories-of-2016.html
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4. FALSE CONTEXT

Legitimate content that is taken out of context, such as incorrect date or a misquote. This type of
misinformation can still appear on news sites with poor fact-checking or opinionated reporting, but this
is also clearly driven by an attempt to influence others.

EXAMPLE:

Video Of 2011 Japan Tsunami Passed Off As Floods In Pakistan In 2020

https://www.vishvasnews.com/english/viral/fact-check-video-of-2011-japan-tsunami-passed-off-as-
floods-in-pakistan-in-2020/
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5. IMPOSTER CONTENT

When genuine sources are impersonated to deceive the audience. Even though this type of
misinformation is sometimes used in parody, it is also taken advantage for profit and propaganda
purposes, such as by sites disguised to look like mainstream news organizations.

EXAMPLE:

A Timeline Of How The Notre Dame Fire Was Turned Into An Anti-Muslim Narrative

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/notre-dame-hoax-timeline
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6. Manipulated Content

The intentional manipulation of content, such as altering an image or making up quote cards. This type
of misinformation is easily proven fake with some research, but this can unfortunately spread too far
before it is fact-checked.

EXAMPLE:

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Jay Sonza, netizens revive fake photo of ‘Manila Bay beachfront’

https://verafiles.org/articles/vera-files-fact-check-jay-sonza-netizens-revive-fake-photo-m
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7. Fabricated Content

This is newly created false content that is designed to deceive and harm people. These include deepfake
videos, sites posing as legitimate news organizations, and also some organizations that intends to alter
both history and current events.

EXAMPLE:

Lorenzana defends fabricated posts spread by PH military on social media

https://www.rappler.com/nation/lorenzana-defends-fabricated-posts-spread-by-philippine-military-
social-media