Misinformation
False information circulating regardless of intent to deceive.
Short answer
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation is false or misleading information that circulates irrespective of whether the person sharing it intends to deceive. Disinformation is the subset created and spread deliberately.
Definition
Misinformation is false or misleading information that circulates irrespective of whether the person sharing it intends to deceive. Disinformation is the subset created and spread deliberately.
Why It Matters
Fabricated quotes and edited clips now move faster than any press cycle. A false claim unchallenged for a day becomes, for many voters, simply a fact — and closed messaging groups are where correction is hardest.
Example in Indian Elections
Response requires verification first, then triage: correcting a low-reach claim publicly often introduces it to a far larger audience than it would otherwise have reached.
Related Terms
- Social ListeningContinuous monitoring of online conversation about a campaign.
- AstroturfingFaking grassroots support through inauthentic accounts or paid activity.
- Dark PostA targeted advertisement visible only to its intended audience.
- Opt-In ConsentAffirmative permission from a person before contacting them.
- Polling BoothThe individual polling station where a defined group of voters casts their votes.
- Form 20The statutory ECI document publishing booth-wise vote counts after a poll.