The information manager must work assiduously to synthesize a truth. Then, in order to flourish, that truth must come under intense and prolonged persecution. The illusion of a synthetic truth’s inviolability is all-important. —George Irwin
The conflation of misinformation with disinformation has resulted in erroneous thinking, assigning like values to two unlike terms. Misinformation seeks to misinform its intended audience — it’s content is inherently untrue. Disinformation, on the other hand, always possesses a kernel of truth, but is packaged in such a way that it may easily be discounted in the event that it comes under meaningful scrutiny. Disinformation is managed fact. It is the responsibility of disinformation’s audience to decoct fact from fiction. In practice, it is rare that the facts survive the fictions with which they are bundled. This is disinformation’s overarching strategy.
Whilst misinformation is skill-less, disinformation requires expertise, or draws upon sanctioned trusts with expertise. Hard data is subsequently shielded, or inoculated from widespread propagation, by ensuring that it is encapsulated in a concocted, untenable context. This is the means by which disclosure may be achieved, then discredited. Facts become sport: easy to ridicule, simple to hate. Not only does the disinformant tell the truth, but he also engineers a climate that guarantees he may continue to work in his chosen field without further interruption.
Some disinformation campaigns are better than others. The best campaigns aim to exasperate and exhaust their audience: attrition is the key to maintaining secrecy.
A Note on Misdirection
When one misdirects unintentionally, one remains a noble agent of truth, as in the words of Albert Pike, “Error also is the Shadow of Truth.”
