Glossary: Misinformation
Launch library · evergreen read
Misinformation describes false or inaccurate information shared without any intent to deceive anyone. The person sharing it usually genuinely believes it is true, which makes misinformation spread easily through ordinary channels: a relative forwarding an outdated warning, a friend repeating a claim they simply misremembered from earlier.
This distinction matters because the appropriate response differs from more deliberate deception found elsewhere. Correcting misinformation calls for patience and clear evidence rather than confrontation, since the person spreading it is not acting in bad faith and is often genuinely relieved to learn a correction rather than defensive about receiving one.
Recognising the category helps calibrate tone appropriately. Treating an honest mistake as though it were a deliberate lie tends to entrench the belief further rather than correct it, while a calm, evidence based response leaves room for someone to update their view without feeling personally attacked in the process, which matters more than winning the immediate exchange.