Malinformation, Misinformation, Disinformation

What's the difference?

By Deane Barker • •

Here’s one definition from How Spies Think:

  • Misinformation: Something that someone thought was true, but isn’t

  • Malinformation: Something that is true and is revealed for effect; telling someone’s secrets to get them in trouble

  • Disinformation: Something that is not true but is presented as true for effect; actively and knowingly lying

Note that disinformation can become misinformation. If someone makes a claim that they know is not true, that instance is DISinformation. If someone else then repeats that, thinking it’s true, that instance is MISinformation.

Why I Looked It Up

The terms have come up a lot, and I was aware there are different definitions, but I wasn’t sure what they were. I found this delineation in How Spies Think and it looked like a good starting point.

I’m leaving this question open, just so I can accumulate answers here.

This is item #437 in a sequence of 811 items.

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