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Misinformation is false or misleading information. Although much of the current research focuses on internet misinformation because it is easier to track, misinformation is just as prevalent in person.[1]
History
In 1938, radios in the United States broadcast Orson Welles's science fiction drama The War of the Worlds, leading to claims of mass hysteria even though few people believed the broadcasts were true.[1]
Prevalence
Misinformation only represents of media consumption 0.15% in the USA and 0.16% in France. In both countries, most media consumption is entertainment and not news.
Studies tend to overestimate public belief in misinformation because 90% of them do not include an option for "not sure" or "don't know" when presenting subjects with statements, leading many to guess the wrong answer.[1]
Internet
During the 2016 presidential campaign in the United States, the top 20 fake news stories took up less than 0.1% of total interactions on Facebook.
Between March 2019 and March 2020, internet traffic to trustworthy websites increased by two billion views while traffic to untrustworthy ones increased by only 30 million.[1]
Public perception
People in the United States are more concerned about misinformation than climate change, racism, sexism, terrorism, and 60% believe fake news had a serious impact on the 2020 election.[1]