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Misinformation Lexicon: Handout

Find definitions for common types of misinformation and disinformation, including propaganda, conspiracy theories, deepfakes, and more.

Misinformation Lexicon. Misinformation: false information, shared unintentionally or with an intent to deceive, that has the power to influence others. Disinformation: false or distorted information spread with the intent of influencing, manipulating, or deceiving the audience. Hoax: a fabricated story, often taking the form of a humorous prank. Satire/Comedy: misinformation intended to make the audience laugh, but often believed as true and shared. Fake news: false news stories including hoaxes, satire, or lies; also used as a term to discredit legitimate journalism. Propaganda: a form of political persuasion intended to manipulate the audience; often one-sided and emotionally charged. Astroturfing: political or corporate propaganda that creates a misleading impression of grassroots support. Conspiracy theories: narratives suggesting that the official version of an event is false and powerful forces are in control. Deepfake: manipulated image or video in which someone seems to be saying or doing something they didn’t say or do. Motivated reasoning: the tendency to be less skeptical of information that reinforces what someone already believes. Continued influence effect: the ongoing influence of misinformation on the audience’s beliefs, even after it has been corrected.

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Citizen Literacy was created by Robert Detmering, Amber Willenborg, and Terri Holtze for University of Louisville Libraries and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.