ISSN: 2691-5774
Authors: Hoffman DP* and Robitscher J
From our perspective and professions of bioethics and public health it has appeared for some time this commentary is overdue. Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. Disinformation, according to Merriam-Webster, is “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth”. Disinformation is often the tool of choice in the lead-up to political takeovers and a business tactic to undermine competition. Both refer to false information, however disinformation one need only seek those who benefit from the change to see the likely source of disinformation. Both of these purposes are unethical and potentially illegal. When the purpose is clouded through politics and complicated by social as well as traditional media, the damage can be even more serious as the resulting “beliefs” are strongly held and the doubts created undermine our collective progress – and in this case, health.
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