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Journalism & Media vocabulary · Fact-Checking and Verification

Malinformation

Meaning in journalism & media, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In journalism & media, malinformation means: Genuine information used to cause harm, for example through malicious exposure of private material.

In Turkish: zarar vermek amacıyla kullanılan doğru bilgi

How it is used

Use when the information is genuine but its use is harmful; assess context and intent before applying the label.

Example sentences

  1. Publishing the witness's private address to encourage harassment was described as malinformation.

    The problem lies in the harmful use of genuine personal details.

  2. The workshop distinguished malinformation from fabricated claims about the same person.

    Truthfulness and harmful purpose are separate dimensions in this classification.

Common collocations

  • spread malinformation
  • malinformation campaign
  • identify malinformation
  • misinformationFalse or misleading information that is spread without the intention to deceive, often by people who believe it is true.
  • disinformationFalse information that is created or spread deliberately to mislead people, damage someone or influence public opinion.

More terms: Fact-Checking and Verification

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