Can we learn to spot misinformation? 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been identified as the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk. But before him, social media blamed Michael Mallinson, a Canadian pensioner.
Innocent man blamed for Kirk shooting
False accusations: After being incorrectly named online as having shot Charlie Kirk, people accused Canadian Michael Mallinson of being 'pure evil', a 'liberal boomer lunatic', and a 'far-left extremist' with a Ukrainian connection. Glossary
Firebrand - A person who is very passionate about something.
Sniper - Someone who shoots at people from a place where they cannot be seen.
Disinformation - False information intended to mislead, including propaganda, which all too often encourages the spread of misinformation, fake news spread by mistake. It is contrasted with misinformation, which may be spread accidentally.
Misinformation - Incorrect or misleading information unintentionally presented as fact. It can be contrasted with disinformation or deliberate lies.
Decipher - Figuring out or decoding.
Acronym - An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word. Nasa, for example.
Reputable - Respected and trusted by most people.
Bias - Biases are beliefs that systematically and unfairly distort a person's decisions, in favour or against one group or another.