The “Infodemic” Infodemic: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Truth-Claims and the Need for (Not) Combatting Misinformation

• Date: 01 March 2022
• Published date: 01 March 2022
• Author: Dietram A. Scheufele,Nicole M. Krause,Isabelle Freiling
• DOI: 10.1177/00027162221086263
• Subject Matter: Misinformation

112 ANNALS, AAPSS, 700, March 2022

DOI: 10.1177/00027162221086263

The

“Infodemic”

Infodemic:

Toward a More

Nuanced

Understanding

of Truth-Claims

and the Need

for (Not)

Combatting

Misinformation

By

NICOLE M. KRAUSE,

ISABELLE FREILING,

and

DIETRAM A. SCHEUFELE

1086263ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYTHE “INFODEMIC” INFODEMIC

research-article2022

Scholarship on (mis)information does not easily trans-

late into recommendations for policy-makers and policy

influencers who wish to judge the accuracy of science-

related truth claims. This is partly due to much of this

literature being based on lab experiments with captive

audiences that tell us little about the durability or scal-

ability of any potential intervention in the real world.

More importantly, the “accuracy” of scientific truth

claims is much more difficult to define than many schol-

ars in this space acknowledge. Uncertainties associated

with the nature of science, sociopolitical climates, and

media systems introduce compounding error in assess-

ments of claim accuracy. We, therefore, need a more

nuanced understanding of misinformation and disinfor-

mation than those often present in discussions of the

“infodemic.” Here, we propose a new framework for

evaluating science-related truth claims and apply it to

real-world examples. We conclude by discussing impli-

cations for research and action on (mis)information,

given that distinguishing between true and false claims

is not as easy as it is sometimes purported to be.

Keywords: misinformation; disinformation; truth

claims; classification; conceptualization;

science; risk

Scientists and policy actors have long

attempted to categorize the forms and

Nicole M. Krause is a doctoral candidate in the Department

of Life Sciences Communication at the University of

Wisconsin–Madison. Her work focuses on public percep-

tions of controversial science and issues of misinformation

in science communication contexts.

Isabelle Freiling is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department

of Communication at the University of Vienna. Her

research focuses on media use and effects, as well as

science and political communication, with a particular

focus on social media and misinformation.

Dietram A. Scheufele is the Taylor-Bascom Chair in

Science Communication and Vilas Distinguished

Achievement Professor in the Department of Life Sciences

Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

and the Morgridge Institute for Research. His work exam-

ines the social effects of emerging science and technology.

Correspondence: nmkrause@wisc.edu