Disinformation Part 1: India

“Disinformation” and “misinformation” are two words we often hear, but how many people know what those words mean? How do we identify disinformation? How is it spread? The disinformation issue is not unique to the US, as countries around the world are facing the consequences of the spread of false and sometimes even harmful information. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Sumitra Badrinathan joins us to discuss disinformation and misinformation in India (1:17) and the ways in which the spread of disinformation in India is both similar and different to the ways disinformation spreads in the US. Badrinathan explains her definition of disinformation (1:25) and shares why she uses the term “misinformation” when discussing her work (2:42). She also describes how different types of disinformation and misinformation, such as health and political misinformation, affect both India and the world (3:38). How does India’s status as the world’s most populous country affect the spread of misinformation (6:37)? How do social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp contribute to the spread of misinformation (9:14)? Badrinathan answers these questions and discusses the impact of misinformation on political outcomes in India (20:33). The podcast concludes with Badrinathan’s comments on foreign influence in the spread of disinformation and misinformation in India (23:46). During our “Take Five” segment, Badrinathan shares five ways that researchers and academics have worked to counter global misinformation (13:46).