Disaster Recovery Journal Winter 2023

Disinformation vs. Misinformation There are subtle differences between disinformation and misinformation. Disinformation is always purposeful. Even incidental disinformation is pur

poseful. The incidental piece is the seed, the original post. The disinformative branches of the social media tree which grow from the original post are purpose fully manipulative of the original content. Misinformation is generally unintentional

with no intent to be wrong – individuals or organizations misstating the correct practice. Misinformation sources are typi cally very receptive, even apologetic when asked to make corrections. Dissecting Disinformation Attacking disinformation or its sources only feeds negative stereotypes, which are the root of the problem. Addressing them positively is essential for effective man agement. The most common threat is inci dental disinformation. It is also the easiest to combat because there is no strategic malintent behind its origin. When the inci dental concerns are addressed, this often also controls manipulative disinformation sources which feed off authentic news to support narratives. Managing the chaotic world of social media can be distracting at best and para lyzing at its worst. Communicators need to be positive. Highlight misinformative posts in ways that talk about how and why the post differs from best practices. Do it in a way which focuses on what the public can learn. Casual disinformation can often be ignored. Many times, it is so far-fetched or lacking a readily apparent purpose its consequence, while frustrating, has little real impact on the situation. Manipulative disinformation can be very problematic, often planted by out side sources with far-reaching agendas. They need to be vetted by communicators to determine which are legitimately detri mental. The goal of the vetting process is to recognize what, while frustrating, is not damaging – allowing someone to focus on what is truly problematic. Disinformation does not have to be destructive. Flip the script and use it as a platform from which to further promote the message. v

Bill Mellander has been studying and designing disaster communication strate gies for 25 years. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and in the New York

Times as an authority on disaster recov ery. Mellander has directed communications at more than 100 natural disaster scenes, including Hurricane Katrina. He is currently the managing strategist for Pinnacle Communications Group.

26 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | WINTER 2023