Why People Believe Misinformation in War

Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Misinformation is rampant in conflict and war, and the extent to which people believe misinformation can often influence the trajectory of these conflicts. But when is misinformation actually believed, and when is it not?

My guest today, Daniel Silverman, is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Carnegie Mellon and the author of a groundbreaking new study on misinformation and war. His book, Seeing is Disbelieving: Why People Believe Misinformation in War, and When They Know Better, examines this phenomenon in depth. Through case studies spanning Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria, Daniel Silverman identifies the circumstances under which people are more or less vulnerable to misinformation. He concludes that the closer people are to a conflict, the less credulous they tend to be.

In our conversation, we begin by discussing what we mean by misinformation and disinformation before diving into his findings from these three case studies.