The Sense of Misinformation Can Harm Local Community: A Case Study of Community Conflict

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of sense of misinformation, a mistaken perception of falsehood in community conflicts, and examines its development and impact during civic disputes through a case study, highlighting implications for community trust and democracy.

Contribution

It provides a novel conceptual distinction between misinformation and sense of misinformation, analyzing their social effects and proposing strategies to recognize and mitigate mistaken perceptions in communities.

Findings

Sense of misinformation can escalate community conflicts.

Miscoordination and miscommunication contribute to sense of misinformation.

Strategies can be developed to help communities recognize and address mistaken perceptions.

Abstract

During community decision-making and civic collaboration, conflicts can escalate when people suspect misinformation. We introduce the concept of sense of misinformation as experiencing someone's language or behavior as misinformation when it is not, that is to say when no falsehood is involved. Misinformation and sense of misinformation feel similar and can have similar social consequences; but sense of misinformation rests upon a mistaken perception of someone else's information as false. Through a case study of a casino proposal in local community, we examine how sense of misinformation developed over time during a contentious civic process through key factors (i.e., miscoordination governance, miscommunication between local government and citizens, and conflict and the breakdown of civic discourse), undermining trust and community democracy. Distinguishing between misinformation and sense of misinformation presents a challenge, but it is important. We contribute a conceptual distinction to the misinformation literature by identifying this distinct phenomenon and discuss ways to help communities recognize and repair such misattributions. Finally, we discuss design approaches for mitigating sense of misinformation.