Glossary of disinformation: Do you know what “butterfly attack” or “factoid” means?

Ramón Salaverría, coordinator of IBERIFIER, is part of the team of authors that compiled a glossary of 125 terms related to disinformation. This work clarifies the meaning of terms such “butterfly attack”, “astroturfing”, and “factoid”.

The complete work can be read here. The platform of independent journalism “The Conversation” also covered the topic and highlighted 11 key terms.

The proposal for this chapter came about as a result of a working group associated with the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), whose purpose is to link the activities of universities and research centres with an understanding of the search for solutions to the phenomenon of disinformation. The work was coordinated by Sergio Arce Garcia, a professor at the International University of Rioja.

Butterfly attacks occur when imposters mimic the patterns of behavior of a social group (usually a group that has to fight for representation). Imposters pretend to be part of the group in order to insert divisive rhetoric and disinformation into popular online conversation or within the information networks used by these groups.

Astroturfing is a communication strategy that relies on a large number of users acting in coordination to spread disinformation.

Factoid refers to popular belief with no basis in fact. A false, inaccurate or trivial assertion or piece of information that becomes a supposedly incontrovertible fact through repetition in multiple sources.

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