Disinformation Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

Political Science

• Governments have used disinformation to influence public opinion and sway elections, turning information battles into psychological warfare.
• The spread of false information can lead to distrust in legitimate news sources, creating a ‘post-truth’ environment where emotions dominate facts.

History

• During World War II, disinformation campaigns were used to mislead enemy forces about troop movements and strategies.
• The infamous Watergate scandal involved significant disinformation efforts to cover up the truth about presidential misconduct.

Psychology

• People are more likely to believe false information if it aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, a phenomenon known as confirmation bias.
• Disinformation exploits cognitive biases, making it more challenging for individuals to discern truth from falsehood.

Digital Media

• Social media platforms have become prominent channels for the spread of disinformation, due to their wide reach and rapid sharing capabilities.
• Fact-checking organizations are now vital in combating disinformation, helping to clarify what is true and what is misleading.

Literature

• Many dystopian novels explore themes of disinformation and propaganda, emphasizing the power of narrative and misinformation in controlling society.
• George Orwell's '1984' is a classic example where controlled information shapes reality, illustrating the dangers of governmental disinformation.

Main points about word origin

• The term comes from the Russian word 'dezinformatsiya', developed during the Cold War to describe the manipulation of information.
• It combines the prefix 'dis-' meaning ‘opposite of’ with 'information', literally meaning the opposite of true information.

The term 'disinformation' originated from the Russian word дезинформация (dezinformatsiya), which was used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War to refer to false information spread to deceive Western intelligence agencies. Disinformation has since become a widely recognized concept in the realm of information warfare and has been increasingly prevalent in the age of social media.

See also: inform, informality, informally, informant, informatics, information, informative, informed, informer, informers, informing, misinform, misinformation, misinformed, misinforming, uninformed.

This word's position of #31,432 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.

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• 31429 incriminated
• 31430 funicular
• 31431 elongating
• 31432 disinformation
• 31433 abominably
• 31434 pock
• 31435 retrofitted
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