Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material

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Information pollution is the contamination of information with false and misleading material.

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Pollution of the info-ecosystem

The quality of the information in our global information ecosystem is paramount.

To reduce uncertainty and foster effective sense-making and decision-making, it all boils down to trust — we must have unwavering faith in the things we read, the videos we watch, and the people with whom we communicate.

Credit: David Gurteen

To reduce uncertainty and make good sensemaking and decision-making, we need to trust the things we read, the videos we watch, and the people we communicate with.

In short, we need to trust the information in the info-ecosystem. But can we? Think about it for a moment; there is very little we can trust.

• News media is not a good source; it is primarily political propaganda or has been fabricated to help sell the media.
• Social media is certainly not to be trusted; like the news media, much of it is political propaganda, fake news, and a tribal battleground.
• You would think scientific papers might be a good source of high-quality information, especially given the peer-review process most academic papers go through. But read this article in the Atlantic, Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science, explaining why much of what medical researchers conclude in their studies may be misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong.

There are no sources of information we can totally trust.

We must conduct due diligence through thorough research and analysis.

To make sound decisions and meaningful actions, we must avoid shortcuts and laziness, putting in the necessary effort.

Credit: David Gurteen

Combating the pollution of the info-ecosystem

Let’s take a moment to establish and understand some critical terminology surrounding the concepts of misinformation and disinformation, as correctly differentiating between them is essential but can also be nuanced.

Misinformation and disinformation

Distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation is crucial.

Misinformation comes from those who genuinely believe what they say, while disinformation involves deliberate deception, cover-ups, or the spreading of falsehoods.

Differentiating between them can be challenging, and even trusted sources may inadvertently spread misinformation.

Credit: David Gurteen

It is essential to distinguish between misinformation and disinformation. They are two different things.

Misinformation is spread by people who genuinely believe what they’re saying (but are wrong).

Disinformation is false information spread by people who aim to deceive deliberately, cover-up, or sow distrust and confusion. In other words, a lie or falsehood.

Distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Misinformation comes from those who genuinely believe what they say, while disinformation involves deliberate deception, cover-ups, or the spreading of falsehoods. Differentiating between them can be challenging, and even trusted sources may inadvertently spread misinformation.

Truth versus truthfulness

It is crucial to distinguish between being truthful and telling the truth.

Being truthful means honestly expressing how we perceive or feel about something.

Telling the truth means accurately defining or describing the way things are.

We can be truthful in expressing what we honestly believe, but that belief may not be accurate.

If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. ...

And a people that no longer can believe anything cannot make up its mind.

It is deprived not only of its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge.

And with such a people you can then do what you please.

Credit: Hannah Arendt, German-born, American philosopher and political theorist

The War on Sensemaking | Daniel Schmachtenberger (Rebel Wisdom)

Sensemaking the Coronavirus | Rebel Wisdom

Credit: This post draws on the work of Daniel Schmachtenberger and, in particular, the two videos embedded above The War on Sensemaking.

Resources

• Big Think: Misinformation abounds because “trusted” sources promote untrustworthy information by Cameron English

Detailed Resources

• Big Think: Humanity solved the “trust paradox” by going tribal — and paid a horrific price by David R. Samson (2023)
• The Guardian: The collapse of the information ecosystem poses profound risks for humanity by Lydia Polgreen (2019)
• Blog Post: Human Systems Are Almost Always Based On Trust by Dave Pollard (2023)
• HBR: Rethinking Trust by Roderick M. Kramer (2009)

Posts that link to this post

•  Is Bill Gates a Force for Good or Evil? Bill Gates and conspiracy theories
•  Using the Concept of Signal-to-noise Ratio as a Metaphor The ratio of useful or true information to false or irrelevant information
•  Has Democracy Outlived Its Usefulness? The best argument against Democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter
•  Please Stop Saying You Researched It You probably didn’t research anything
•  Making Sense of a Complex World There is no information we can trust
•  The Global Information Ecosystem We live in a vast sea of information
•  Opinion Polarization We are polarized across political, religious, moral, and racial divides
•  Signal-to-noise Ratio The ratio of useful or true information to false or irrelevant data
•  Tell the Truth Lies distort the world
•  Uncertainty ** Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information
•  Pseudoscience Lacks the rigor essential to the scientific method

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