{"id":14821,"date":"2023-10-23T18:46:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T01:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bradblog.com\/?p=14821"},"modified":"2023-10-23T19:03:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T02:03:19","slug":"misinformation-is-an-accident-disinformation-is-a-lie-bradcast-10232023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bradblog.com\/?p=14821","title":{"rendered":"‘Misinformation is an Accident. Disinformation is a Lie’: ‘BradCast’ 10\/23\/2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

More voices over “the information superhighway” was supposed to make it easier for the public to discern fact from fiction. As discuss on today’s BradCast<\/i><\/a>, it seems to have done the exact opposite. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.<\/i>]\n

Two hot wars in both Israel and Ukraine, a still-simmering pandemic, a worsening climate crisis, the takeover of Twitter by a disgruntled rightwing billionaire, and a “master propagandist” running again for President of the United States, have all combined into a “perfect storm” of disinformation, my guest today explains.<\/p>\n

We’re joined by Boston University research fellow<\/a> and best-selling author LEE MCINTYRE<\/b>, author of 2018’s Post-Truth<\/i><\/a>, 2021’s How to Talk to a Science Denier<\/i><\/a>, and the just-published On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy<\/i><\/a>. <\/p>\n

He’s here today to help us understand the difference between mis<\/i>information and dis<\/i>information; to discuss which is worse; and what, if anything, can be done about any of it. In short, as he explains, “Misinformation is an accident. Disinformation is a lie.” For example, the New York Times<\/i>‘ (and others’) coverage of the deadly explosion at a hospital in Gaza City last week, which now appears to have been caused by an errant rocket fired by a Palestinian militant group, was misinformation when the Times<\/i> reported it as having been caused by an Israeli airstrike in the immediate aftermath. The misleading reportage might have originated, however, as dis<\/i>information from Hamas sources, whose allegations the Times<\/i> — as they finally conceded today<\/a> — was not properly vetted before being used to drive traffic to its website.<\/p>\n

McIntyre also focuses on the danger that social media sites like Twitter\/X now pose to democracy <\/a>and the world, particularly since its takeover by Elon Musk, his blowing up<\/a> of the previously helpful blue-check “verified” system which helped users distinguish legitimate sources from fakes, and his removal of most of the company’s trust, safety, and information moderation team. <\/p>\n

He details how disinformation also serves the dual purpose of not just forwarding false information on any particular issue — like the war in the Middle East or denial of the efficacy of COVID vaccines, our climate crisis, or democratic elections — but also collapses trust in all<\/i> verified information and news sources. “Through polarization and the raising of mistrust and distrust, one message that comes through with disinformation is, ‘Maybe we can’t even know the truth. How do we know? Is everybody biased?’ Because in that situation, you might give up on the idea of truth. That paves the way for authoritarianism.”<\/p>\n

Among the other points we discuss with McIntyre today…<\/p>\n