Image by Freepik
Dr Aliaksandr Herasimenka at the Oxford Internet Institute led a research, published in the Journal of Communication, that demonstrates how health misinformation groups receive funds for their anti-vaccination campaigns. In which, we can learn several strategies and monetisation methods of the misinformation actors.
What is “Misinformation”? And, “Misinformation” vs. “Disinformation”
First of all, Misinformation is “false information that is spread, regardless of intent to mislead.” Then, with the intent to spread, misinformation becomes disinformation, as “deliberately misleading or biassed information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda”.
How does Misinformation monetise?
Strategies – The research addresses three main strategies that the misinformation groups use to be able to monetise their campaigns:
- Acting like celebrities: they maintain their followers attention and give an impression of perceived intimacy between them and their followers;
- Behaving like a radical social movement: they use the social networks on the Internet to reinforce their messaging;
- Using tactics employed by junk news: they use junk news with its appearance like a traditional one but it presents distorted, polarising content.
Types of monetisation – The researchers found that the majority of the examined websites (85%) show the evidence of monetisation.
- Appeals for donations: there are multiple methods of accepting donations, including cryptocurrencies.
- Information products, merchandise, and other products: the website owners usually link their products/ services to the core issue that they work with.
- Advertising: the websites display advertising banners, allowing for monetisation through selling website space.
- Membership dues: the actors collect funds by generating a membership scheme on their websites.
- Linked sites analysis: the website owners also use the links between their websites and other domains. They can point toward shared ownership or other strong relationships.
In conclusion, it seems hard enough to address the resource mobilisation strategies, such as seeking donations, membership fees or selling merchandise. The research group proposed several solutions, for example, the search engines, payment, e-commerce and crowd platforms should equip the sensor against the misinformation groups’ strategies.
Full text of the research: https://en.x-mol.com/paper/article/1607060967990718464