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Journalism & Media vocabulary · Fact-Checking and Verification

Misinformation

Meaning in journalism & media, with examples

/ˌmɪsɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/nounCore term

In journalism & media, misinformation means: False or misleading information that is spread without the intention to deceive, often by people who believe it is true.

In Turkish: yanlış bilgi, hatalı bilgi

How it is used

Used by journalists, researchers and platforms, especially about health, disasters and online rumours. Misinformation spreads, circulates and goes viral; newsrooms track, counter and correct it. It is uncountable.

Example sentences

  1. After the earthquake, misinformation about new shocks spread quickly on messaging apps.

  2. Our health desk publishes a weekly guide to common misinformation.

Common collocations

  • spread misinformation
  • health misinformation
  • tackle misinformation
  • a piece of misinformation
  • disinformationFalse information that is created or spread deliberately to mislead people, damage someone or influence public opinion.
  • fake newsFalse stories made to look like real news reports; the phrase is also used, sometimes unfairly, to attack reporting that someone simply dislikes.
  • debunkTo show with clear evidence that a claim, rumour, theory or image is false or misleading.
  • fact-checkTo check whether the names, numbers, dates and claims in a story or statement are correct before or after it is published; as a noun, the check itself.

More terms: Fact-Checking and Verification

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