Present-day fake news generates an “information disorder” in which news satire, parody, fabrication, manipulation, advertising, and propaganda are blended and denoted using a threefold distinction: (1) misinformation, that is, unintentional incorrect information; (2) disinformation, that is, the deliberate fabrication and/or sharing of false information; (3) mal-information, that is, deliberate publication of true private/sensitive information with change of context (cherry picking).

This EJN Editorial was published following the Special Interest Event organised at FENS Forum 2022 by the FENS Committee for Higher Education and Training (CHET).