In their article, “How Abortion Misinformation and Disinformation Spread Online,” Scientific American sees a trend in the likelihood of misinformation and disinformation being spread around online when it comes to controversial topics. In light of today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe v Wade ruling which allowed for people to have an abortion, the popularity of incorrect information can be clearly seen. Jenna Sherman, author of this article, cites that “research has made clear that much of the content people find online about abortion is not reliable.” A subject as sensitive as this one is prone to misinformation, which Sherman defines as “the unintentional spread of false or misleading information” and disinformation, or the “[intentional] spread to promote [one’s own] agenda.” Taking these facts into consideration, it is important to note that we have to seek out where these two may be present so that we do not fall into the trap of relying on sensationalized media just because of its shocking effects.
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