You've probably been there. You're scrolling through your feed, and you see a headline that makes your blood boil, only to realize five minutes later it was totally wrong. We call it all "fake news" or "misinformation" now, but honestly, those terms have become kind of a catch-all junk drawer for anything we don't like. Words matter. If you’re looking for another word for misinformation, you’re usually looking for precision because calling a honest mistake "disinformation" is actually a pretty big accusation.
Misinformation is basically just "wrong info." It’s the stuff your uncle posts because he didn't check the date on a 2014 article. But the moment you add intent into the mix? That's a whole different ballgame.
The Disinformation Distinction
Most people use these interchangeably. They shouldn't.
Disinformation is the heavy hitter here. It's the deliberate attempt to deceive. Think of state-sponsored troll farms or companies trying to bury a scientific study that hurts their bottom line. When the First Draft News organization—which was a huge player in this space before it transitioned its work—pioneered the "information disorder" framework, they made it clear that intent is the line in the sand.
If I tell you the grocery store is open until 10 PM because I genuinely thought it was, but it actually closed at 9 PM, I’ve given you misinformation. I’m just wrong. If I tell you it’s open until 10 PM specifically because I want you to walk there in the rain and find a locked door because I’m a jerk? That’s disinformation.
It’s malicious. It’s a weapon.
Why "Hoax" Still Works
Sometimes you just want a word that sounds less like a textbook. "Hoax" is great. It implies a bit of a performance. You have the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, where the New York Sun published stories about bat-people living on the moon. Nobody was trying to overthrow a government; they just wanted to sell newspapers. It was a prank that got out of hand.
Today, we see digital hoaxes all the time. Remember the "Momo Challenge"? It was a classic panic-driven hoax. There wasn't actually a widespread phenomenon of a creepy statue-faced character telling kids to do dangerous things, but the reporting on it created a reality out of thin air.
Propaganda and the Art of the Slant
Then we have the "P" word.
Propaganda isn't always a lie, which is what makes it so tricky. It’s often just a very aggressive version of the truth. It’s about persuasion. If a government puts out a poster saying "Our Country is the Best," that’s not necessarily "misinformation" in a factual sense—it’s an opinion—but it’s definitely propaganda.
You’ve got:
- Agitprop: Designed to get people angry and moving.
- Gaslighting: A psychological term that’s moved into the info-war space. It’s when someone makes you doubt your own perception of reality.
- Spin: What PR firms do when their client has a bad quarter. They don't lie about the loss; they just talk about the "restructuring for future growth."
Malinformation: The Truth Used as a Weapon
This is a weird one.
The term "malinformation" was popularized by researchers like Claire Wardle. It refers to information that is actually true but is shared to cause harm. Think about someone’s private medical records being leaked. The records are real. The information is accurate. But the intent behind sharing them is to ruin a reputation or violate privacy.
It’s "bad" information not because it’s false, but because it’s used as a bludgeon. This is a huge part of modern political leaks. The emails might be real, but the timing and the context are engineered to destroy.
Can We Just Call it "Bunk"?
Sometimes you need a word that captures the sheer stupidity of some online claims. "Bunkum" (or "bunk") has a great history. It comes from a 19th-century congressman from Buncombe County, North Carolina, who gave a long, pointless speech just to show his constituents he was doing something. His colleagues started saying he was "talking for Buncombe," which eventually became "bunkum," meaning nonsense.
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Other solid synonyms for the "nonsense" side of things:
- Canard: This usually refers to a groundless rumor or belief.
- Fabrication: When someone just makes it up out of whole cloth.
- Fallacy: Usually refers to a flaw in logic rather than a flat-out lie.
- Prevarication: A fancy way of saying someone is dodging the truth.
The Problem with "Fake News"
We have to talk about why "fake news" is a terrible synonym.
Back in 2016, it had a specific meaning: websites that looked like legitimate news outlets but were literally just publishing made-up stories for ad revenue. But then it got weaponized. Now, people use "fake news" to mean "a news report I don't like" or "a news report that makes my favorite politician look bad."
Researchers at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that when people hear "fake news," they think of everything from poor journalism and clickbait to actual political propaganda. Because it means everything, it basically means nothing. Using more specific words like "erroneous reporting" or "fabricated content" is just better writing.
How to Spot the Gaps
Look, everyone thinks they’re immune to this stuff. They aren't.
Confirmation bias is the engine that keeps misinformation running. We are hard-wired to believe things that confirm what we already think. If you hate a certain celebrity and see a headline saying they were rude to a waiter, you’re 90% more likely to believe it without checking.
Social media algorithms don't help. They aren't programmed to show you the truth; they are programmed to keep you on the app. Anger is the best way to keep you on the app. This creates a cycle where hyperbolic (exaggerated) claims travel faster than boring, nuanced corrections.
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A study from MIT found that false news spreads six times faster than the truth on Twitter (now X). Six times! That’s because the truth is usually complicated and kind of dull. Lies can be tailor-made to be shocking.
Practical Ways to Clean Up Your Feed
You don't need a PhD in communications to get better at this. It just takes a second of friction.
First, check the source. Is it a URL you recognize? "ABCnews.com.co" is not ABC News. That extra ".co" is a classic hallmark of a site designed to trick you.
Second, look for the "primary source." If an article says "A new study says coffee causes baldness," go find the study. Often, you’ll find the study actually says "In high doses, one chemical found in coffee might affect hair follicles in mice." That’s a massive difference.
Third, use lateral reading. Instead of just reading the article itself to see if it’s true, open a new tab. Search for the topic and see who else is talking about it. If only one weird website is reporting a massive global event, it’s probably a fabrication.
Moving Forward With Better Vocabulary
Using another word for misinformation isn't just about being a "grammar person." It’s about being a better citizen of the internet. When you call something out, be specific.
Is it a misconception? (The person is just confused).
Is it disinformation? (They are lying on purpose).
Is it sensationalism? (They are exaggerating for clicks).
The next time you’re about to share something that seems too good (or too bad) to be true, take thirty seconds. Use a site like Snopes or Politifact. Check the "About Us" page of the website. If you can’t find a physical address or a list of real editors, be skeptical.
Accuracy is a collective responsibility. We are all publishers now, whether we like it or not. Every "share" or "retweet" is an editorial decision. Make sure you’re not accidentally becoming a source of misguidance yourself.
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Start by auditing your own "saves" or "bookmarks." Look at three things you shared recently and see if they hold up to a quick Google search. You might be surprised at how much half-truth or hearsay slips through the cracks when we’re in a hurry. Awareness is the only real filter we have left.