Disinformation in political campaigns and social media has been confusing and muddling information about our communities for years. We need to do better to promote factual narratives and evidence-based information. Fortunately, there are ways to do this through regulation, public policy, and individual action.

The following is excerpted from a scholarly article (“Combatting disinformation
How it spreads and why it’s dangerous“) published by Taylor & Francis:

Dr. Lawrence says we need to be open to the idea that we might be receiving and accepting disinformation.

We then need to practice “good information hygiene,” says Dr. Culloty.

“Take a moment to stop, think, and check where the information is coming from,” she says.

“Ask, ‘Is this real?’ or ‘is it credible?’

“Also think about the motives behind the content: is it trying to promote or sell something? 

“Check the source by looking it up to see who created it. Cross-check claims with reliable sources to compare what they are saying. 

“If in doubt, do not hit like or share.”

“Individuals shouldn’t solely rely on commercial and subscription-based media for reliable and accurate news,” adds Professor Iosifidis.

“Access various sources for news and do not rely on one only,” he says.

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