Definitions

Internal code: 	1.1a

Three types of information disorder:

The European Commission Communication on Tackling Online Disinformation, (2018b) : - (Jankowicz, N. (2020)) “the category of disinformation – “when false information is knowingly shared to cause harm” – or malinformation – “when genuine information is shared to cause harm, often by moving information designed to stay private into the public sphere.””
 * Misinformation – when false information is shared but no harm is meant.
 * Disinformation – when false information is knowingly shared to cause harm.
 * Malinformation – when genuine information is shared to cause harm.
 * Propaganda - (Edward Bernays, 1928) "a vast and continuous effort ... to capture our minds in the interest of some policy or commodity or idea"

Disinformation
 * The European Commission Communication on Tackling Online Disinformation, (2018b): Disinformation is a type of information disorder where false information is intentionally spread to cause harm, deceive or obtain economic gain. It is verifiably false or misleading information that is created, presented, and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public, and in any event to cause public harm. This definition excludes reporting errors, satire, and parody, partisan news and commentary, nor illegal content. It distinguishes between verifiably false news and misleading information.
 * (European Commission) "Disinformation (commonly referred to as ‘fake news’) consists of verifiably false or misleading information that is created, presented, and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public, and may cause public harm."

Fake news
 * UK Cambridge Dictionary: False stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke
 * (HLEG, 2018) All forms of false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented, and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or for profit.
 * Alcott & Gentzkow, 2017: Intentionally and verifiably wrong or false news produced for the purpose of earning money and/or promoting ideologies. This definition explicitly excludes "slanted" news, conspiracy theories, rumors, and "false statements by politicians".

Falsehood, willful ignorance, lying
 * (McIntyre, L. (2018)) “As a first step, it is important to acknowledge that we sometimes make mistakes and say things that are untrue without meaning to do so. In that case, one is uttering a “falsehood,” as opposed to a lie, for the mistake is not intentional. The next step beyond this is “willful ignorance.” which is when we do not really know whether something is true, but we say it anyway, without bothering to take the time to find out whether our information is correct. In this / case, we might justifiably blame the speaker... Next comes lying, when we tell a falsehood with the intent to deceive.”

Conspiracy, conspiracy theory
 * (Aaronovitch, D. (2010)) Conspiracy: “the attribution of deliberate agency to something that is more likely to be accidental or action”; “the attribution of a secret action to one party that might far more reasonably be explained as the less covert and less complicated action of another”.
 * (Aaronovitch, D. (2010)) “So a conspiracy theory is the unnecessary assumption of conspiracy when other explanations are more probable.”