How does misinformation spread?

Misinformation Spreads Through People We Trust

One of the simplest ways misinformation spreads is through ordinary people sharing information with friends, family, or followers.

Pauline Hoffman, an infodemiologist and author of Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories, explains that misinformation often spreads because people genuinely believe what they're sharing.

Imagine seeing a social media post claiming that a new law has passed. Your friend shared it, and you trust their judgment. Without checking the original source, you share it with your followers.

Unfortunately, the law never passed.

You've now spread misinformation, even though you had no intention of deceiving anyone.

This is what distinguishes misinformation from disinformation. Disinformation is deliberately spread to deceive, while misinformation is shared without that intention. The same false claim can begin as deliberate disinformation and then spread as misinformation when people unknowingly pass it along.

Social Media Algorithms Amplify Misinformation

Social media has dramatically changed how quickly information can reach large audiences.

Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram use recommendation algorithms to determine which content users are likely to engage with. These systems can amplify misleading content, particularly when it generates strong reactions.

Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, describes how recommendation algorithms can gradually expose users to increasingly extreme content.

For example, someone watching a political video might subsequently receive recommendations for conspiracy theories or misleading political commentary. If they engage with that content, the algorithm may recommend more of it.

Over time, users can find themselves consuming increasingly narrow or misleading information without intentionally seeking it out.

Importantly, social media doesn't necessarily create the misinformation. It often amplifies information that already exists, allowing false claims to spread far beyond their original audience.

Emotional Reactions Encourage Sharing

Misinformation can also spread because it appeals to people's emotions.

Content that provokes fear, anger, outrage, or excitement may encourage people to react immediately rather than stop and evaluate whether a claim is accurate.

Samuel C. Spitale, author of How to Win the War on Truth, emphasizes the importance of examining the emotions a message is designed to provoke.

For example, a sensational headline might claim that a politician has secretly enacted an outrageous policy. Someone who already distrusts that politician may be more inclined to believe and share the claim without verifying it.

This connects to confirmation bias, our tendency to favor information that reinforces our existing beliefs.

When misinformation tells us something we already suspect or want to believe, we may be less motivated to question it.

Politicians, Influencers, and News Media Can Spread Misinformation

Although social media receives considerable attention, misinformation also spreads through influential public figures and traditional media.

Jonathan Rauch, author of The Constitution of Knowledge, argues that politicians and cable news can play major roles in spreading false narratives.

When a prominent political figure makes a misleading claim, journalists may report on it because the statement itself is newsworthy. The claim can then circulate through television, podcasts, social media, and conversations.

Even when journalists challenge or correct the statement, repeated exposure can make the original claim more familiar.

Rauch also describes a strategy called the firehose of falsehood, in which large quantities of false claims, exaggerations, and conspiracy theories are circulated through multiple channels.

The resulting information overload can make it difficult for audiences to determine which claims are credible.

Artificial Intelligence Makes Misinformation More Convincing

Generative artificial intelligence introduces another challenge.

AI tools can create realistic-looking photographs, convincing audio recordings, fabricated videos, and entire news articles describing events that never occurred.

Simone Leeper, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, explains that AI-generated content can provide seemingly convincing evidence for claims that are entirely false.

For example, someone might encounter an AI-generated recording of a politician appearing to make a controversial statement. Believing the recording is authentic, they share it with others.

The technology doesn't necessarily change why people believe misinformation, but it can make false claims easier to produce and harder to recognize.

How Can We Stop Misinformation From Spreading?

Fortunately, everyone can help slow the spread of misinformation.

Jason Reifler, a political scientist who studies misinformation, recommends checking questionable claims against credible sources and established fact-checking organizations such as PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and Snopes.

Before sharing something, consider where the information originated, whether independent sources confirm it, and whether it might be designed to provoke an emotional reaction.

Hoffman offers a particularly simple reminder: "Care before you share."

Ultimately, misinformation spreads because false claims move through the same networks of trust, communication, and technology as accurate information.

We may not be able to control everything we encounter online, but we can control what we pass along to others. Taking a few moments to verify a claim before sharing it can help prevent misinformation from reaching the next person.