There are four lights
There is a word that has crept into frequent use at some point in our pandemic response that I find troubling: "misinformation." On the surface, it sounds like a beauty pageant competition for trivia show champions. Its use seems to be dismissive and almost a direct retort to another dismissive term, "fake news." "Misinformation" projects a pre-evaluation and often makes no mention of the ideas being labeled for the reader/viewer to engage in critical thinking of their own. It predetermines an opinion rather than presenting a set of ideas for the reader/viewer to evaluate for credibility. Let us think for you. Trust us. And now a word from our corporate sponsor.
Misinformation is often associated with another troubling term, "settled science." Consider the reality of a world where we settled on an Earth-centric model of the solar system. Galileo was just a conspiracy theorist dealing in misinformation, and it was right to put him under house arrest for life for sharing these wild ideas. Darwin was a nutjob that challenged the settled concept of creation. Antibiotics are just some moron's mold play. And how dare Einstein challenge the settled Newtonian Physics. The audacity!
Science is not a settled discipline -- or a religion. Our understanding of the Universe will never be complete. That is what makes science so exciting, the discovery! Challenging established perceptions is paramount to science.
The shroud a term like misinformation casts on discovery and truth can have grave consequences. I think most people can agree on handwashing as part of maintaining hygiene. In the last couple of years, it has become a ubiquitous public service announcement in every commercial establishment, encouraging duration, washing vigorousness, and often thanking you for your cooperation.
Ignaz Semmelweis is considered an "early pioneer of antiseptic procedures." But Semmelweis' ideas were not accepted by the medical establishment of the time in 19th century Austria despite demonstrating measured success in reducing mortality. Ignaz Semmelweis eventually paid for his dealings in what would have been classified today as "misinformation." Under false pretense, a colleague lured him to an insane asylum. He was committed and eventually died two weeks later from a gangrenous wound thought to have resulted from beatings from his guards. Next time you wash your hands, thank Ignaz.
The most crucial personal example of where critical thinking has been necessary to navigate competing information was when I was a juror on a murder trial. The prosecution and defense produced very different stories. Collectively, witnesses' stories did not add up, and clearly, someone was not being truthful. And to top it off, it was a self-defense defense. The jury did not immediately have a consensus, and there were hours of deliberation. The obfuscation of details made it impossible to be beyond a reasonable doubt, and eventually, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict. Years after, I ran into the defense attorney at an event I was photographing. He recalled the trial immediately and casually noted he had fought to keep prior convictions from being mentioned in that case. While it may not have changed the outcome, the revelation illuminated an aspect of information control in a situation where I had to make a life-changing decision.
As I am writing this, I received a voicemail without an actual phone call from "Sarah from Tax Help Center." She wants to help me with my back taxes, for which I am not aware of any unpaid taxes. I have had confidence in my accountant for many years. And curiously, Sarah didn't mention her last name, nor does she seem to represent the IRS. Maybe Sarah isn't her real name. My telephone carrier never applied a misinformation or Spam label, so perhaps I am safe offering private information to Sarah.
Before I could wrap this post up, Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, resigned for not being transparent about a relationship with someone in a political office. CNN is an outlet that is very comfortable labeling things "misinformation."
In this report, the teacher interviewed by Brian Stelter cites the News Literacy Project as a resource. Here's their take on "misinformation" and what I evaluate to be a call for more censorship on social media.
Jeff Zucker was in an undisclosed relationship with former Governor Cuomo's communications director, Allison Gollust. Apart from the fact that CNN employed the governor's brother as an on-screen personality for a primetime slot, this amounts to a serious conflict of interest that very easily could have affected any critical reporting of Governor Cuomo while he was in office; during the darkest days of the pandemic.
When you hear the term "misinformation" in a news report, consider the source and any potential conflicts of interest. Some may not be immediately apparent. Identify the information in question. Make your own judgment.