Climate Change Misinformation, Disinformation, and Fake News
By Jeremy Wright
The concept of misinformation has been around for a very long time and is colloquially considered as a synonym for disinformation and fake news. Academic discourse, however, uses these terms separately to describe distinct concepts.
Misinformation is an umbrella term that refers to all incorrect information about the world, regardless of content or the intentions behind its creation and release (Lazer et al., 2018). Misinformation can be the product of simple mistakes, the manipulation of events and evidence to achieve a specific goal, or a combination of the two. Importantly, misinformation is not always threatening or the product of malicious intent. For example, if an article describing gardening techniques actually harms potted flowers instead of benefitting their growth in the long run, then the impact is fairly minor as it may simply result in the inconvenience of a few people. However, unintentional misinformation can also have detrimental impacts on society and the progress of knowledge. For example, Copernicus and Galileo were chastised by many in academia, the church, and society for suggesting that the sun was the centre of the solar system instead of the Earth (Fancher & Rutherford, 2017; Rabin, 2008). This disconnect led to years of scientific stagnation and societal progress at the behest of those who were motivated to maintain a specific worldview. This is a case of misinformation because many of the people who dismissed heliocentrism were doing so due to a misunderstanding of space and planetary physics.
Disinformation, on the other hand, is a type of misinformation built on a foundation of ill-intent and a desire to distort facts to achieve a goal by acting dishonestly (van der Linden, 2022). Disinformation is typically created and spread by those who have a vested interest in benefitting from people, government, and businesses having an inaccurate understanding of a situation (i.e., holding false beliefs about something). An easy example of this can be seen in the history of the tobacco industry intentionally releasing false information about the health implications of smoking (Smith et al., 2011). These false narratives have led to an immeasurable number of tragedies associated with public health and well-being, with changes to laws and medical practice following further research. Disinformation is often disseminated using a technique referred to as “disinformation campaigns,” where interests coordinate which evidence should be discredited, how evidence would be distorted, and what narratives should be spread (Hameleers, 2023). In the modern era of disinformation, these campaigns rely heavily on social media, non-traditional and independent news organizations, and podcasts because misinformation spreads up to 6x faster in these environments when compared to true information on similar topics (Vitriol et al., 2020; Vosoughi et al., 2018).
Fake News is a little different than mis- and disinformation as its defining feature is the format of the information instead of its content or intentions. More specifically, fake news can be either misinformation or disinformation as long as it is structured like traditional news media, as it appears in print, radio, or TV broadcasts. A fun example of harmless fake news is the “1835 Moon Hoax,” where a New York newspaper ran a series of stories (complete with manufactured evidence and fake expert testimonials) suggesting the Moon was inhabited by a civilization of human-bat hybrids that resemble some kind of mythological beast (Young, 2017). These stories ran for several weeks and caused quite a stir in the media and public discourse before being dismissed. A more destructive example can be found in news stories surrounding public health narratives about COVID-19 that motivated people to reject expert advice and avoid measures to contain the virus or act on unsubstantiated claims (Perlis et al., 2023). For instance, many individuals were hospitalized or lost their lives by acting on narratives suggesting hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin were viable treatments for COVID-19 and that the vaccines were unsafe (BBC, 2020; Wheate et al., 2021).
Climate Change (Mis/Dis)information
Inaccuracies about climate change are a particularly destructive form of (mis/dis)information because there are widespread impacts on societies and ecosystems. Unlike tobacco or creatures living on the moon, misunderstandings about climate change negatively impact entire global systems. To illustrate the gravity of climate change (mis/dis)information, many scholars have described it as one of the greatest threats to the humans, plants, and animals who call this planet home (Traberg & van der Linden, 2022; Ecker et al., 2022; Lazer et al., 2018).
If it is so dangerous, why does climate change (mis/dis)information exist? Great question! It exists for two main reasons: Because a) sometimes we get things wrong, and b) to benefit those who can gain something from climate change denial. The underlying ‘point’ of climate change disinformation is not necessarily to make people believe one thing or another, but to pollute the information landscapes that people use to construct an understanding of the world so they can make informed decisions. By flooding the internet and news broadcasts with inaccuracies, people have a hard time deciding to act sustainably.
Who is climate change (mis/dis)information for? Well, everybody! Inaccurate information about climate change is used to influence anyone and everyone. As the main point is to fuel misunderstandings about climate science and the benefits of sustainability, the more people who hold these misunderstandings, the better. So, what do we do? Learn from the experts! The best way to mitigate the impact of climate change (mis/dis)information is to learn about the scientific evidence behind climate change and read stuff (like this article!) to learn more about (mis/dis)information in general. When it comes to climate change, knowledge is power!
Conclusion
Let’s recap! Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are often considered synonyms, but actually have important differences. Misinformation is an umbrella term that refers to all incorrect information, no matter content or intention. Disinformation is a type of misinformation that is knowingly false and spread intentionally to manipulate the beliefs and behaviours of individuals and decision makers. Disinformation is often disseminated through campaigns that use non-traditional media sources like social media and independent news organizations to discredit scientists and scientific evidence. Fake news can refer to either misinformation or disinformation as long as it looks like traditional journalism. (Mis/Dis)information about climate change is a method used to distort the fact that climate change is caused by human activities and is fueling denialism that puts humans, plants, and animals at risk. And most importantly, disinformation about climate change is intended to confuse anyone who will pay attention, so watch out!!!