What we talk about when we talk about information disorders

Information disorders are shaped by the ways narratives spread, gain traction, and influence behaviour. Our work uses a set of grounded terms to describe the key dynamics, patterns, and actors involved. The definitions below reflect how we frame and study this terrain

Narrative Cartography

 
 

Narrative Cartography is Ripple Research’s process of systematically mapping, categorizing, and contextualizing dominant, fringe, and emergent narratives in public discourse to understand how truth and meaning travel, mutate, and mobilise behaviour and action. 

Misinfluencers

 

Misinfluencer analysis is a crucial component of our research, especially in the context of misinformation studies. A misinfluencer, in this context, refers to an individual or entity that actively disseminates or amplifies misleading information, exerting a significant influence on the narratives and beliefs of online communities. The misinfluencer analysis involves the identification, profiling, and examination of these actors who play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of misinformation.

Background noise accounts and attention grabber accounts

 

Background noise accounts and attention grabber accounts are two categories of misinfluencers

Attention Grabbers are adept at attracting significant online engagement, often through sensational or manipulative tactics. This engagement can come in the form of likes, retweets, and replies, amplifying their reach and influence. Attention grabbers might employ tactics like posting inflammatory or controversial content, using emotionally charged language, and spreading conspiracy theories or misinformation in an engaging way 

Background Noise accounts persistently post misinformation, but their content may not garner the same level of engagement as Attention Grabbers. They might have fewer followers or less engagement on their individual posts. Background Noise accounts might frequently share misleading or false information, reinforce misinformation spread by Attention Grabbers, and create a constant stream of misinformation, potentially overwhelming users with inaccurate content. 

Information voids

 

Information voids are defined as the gap(s) between a community’s information needs and the publicly available, evidence-based communication, which emerge due to evolving information needs, questions and concerns among the public. Information voids are very important to study because they are very dangerous as they create fertile ground for misinformation to proliferate as people seek to fill their knowledge gaps. 

Credibility cloaking

Refers to how well misinformation mimics credible content, making it difficult to detect and combat.

Radicalization prevalence

Refers to the presence of extreme narratives that use sensationalised framing to portray events or issues as the result of hidden agendas, powerful actors, or covert manipulation.

Digital ethnography

Digital ethnography is the process of observing online conversations, in situ, to understand how narratives emerge, move, and take hold. It captures live discourse in context, surfacing how people talk, what they respond to, and what kinds of narrative forms are gaining traction. This also includes identifying dominant personas and their manifestations.