Understanding Digital Mis- And Disinformation: Origins, Algorithms, and Interventions

Alice E. Marwick, Deen Freelon, Daniel Kreiss, Shannon McGregor, Francesca Tripodi

Harvard Kennedy Misinformation Review

Mis/Disinformation

Algorithms

So much remains unknown about mis/disinformation

This short section of a larger co-written report addresses three central questions:

  1. Where and with whom does viral mis/disinformation originate?
  2. Which mis/disinformation correction strategies work best with which audiences or demographics?
  3. Which platform algorithms play the biggest role in spreading—or curbing—mis/disinformation?

In many cases, the authors point to gaps in knowledge and future directions for scholarship needed in order to answer or at least adequately explore these questions.