What can we do when faced with a world where people lie as a way of shaping the world to their own ends? First, we have to get smart. Disinformation – the conscious, intentional spreading of false information – is not an accident. It’s a strategy. When we encounter information that is surprising, unsettling, or even a little too comfortable, we need to ask ourselves a set of questions: How does the author know this is true? What is s/he trying to persuade me of? Who benefits if I believe this to be true? How can I check this information against other sources I trust?
…disinformation wants to keep us powerless, fighting to assert that’s true rather than challenging those who are in power.
