Planting Weeds: The Structure of Disinformation Campaigns and Why They Work

As the twentieth century drags on it has become increasingly difficult to discuss the modern political landscape without bringing up disinformation. Disinformation (the intentional spread of false or misleading information in furtherance of a goal) has come to affect nearly every aspect of public life, from forcing authority figures into time consuming debunking efforts to fully controlling conversations on foundational issues. Although amorphous, disinformation exhibits many shared characteristics and markers that allow it to be effectively tracked and outed publicly as the malign influence it represents. However, for something so prevalent, there is often confusion over what disinformation actually is. This is compounded into an alarming issue when people acting in the political discourse are unable, or even unwilling, to identify pieces of disinformation. But why is this? Why is something so divisive and toxic so omnipresent, effective, and difficult to prove to the very people affected by it? This article seeks to examine the structure and characteristics of disinformation, analyzing the components which make up a disinformation campaign, the psychology that allows it to flourish, and the lifecycle that disinformation often follows. In the latter half of the article we walk through a proven Russian disinformation campaign from the perspective of the disinformation actor, using real world examples to illustrate the concepts discussed and emphasize the potential impact of such malign influence efforts. In the end, education on awareness, media literacy, and critical thinking skills are required to stem the swelling tide of disinformation. I hope that this article can serve as a useful educational resource for those looking to learn about disinformation and a convenient primer and reference for those that are already familiar with the subject.