Summary

Mis- and disinformation have been a major challenge in risk communication and management of natural hazards. Mis- and disinformation create obstacles by misleading the public about natural hazards, including risks, and consequently can adversely impact individual citizens’ behaviours. The origin and spread of mis- and disinformation involve a range of social and psychological factors. The issue of what is regarded as valid or invalid information boils down to socially constructed persuasions and agreements about what is true and what is not. The mechanism behind persuasion about misinformation could benefit from understanding persuasion about information in general. Some key psychological aspects of people’s susceptibility to mis- and disinformation centre around how people accept or reject knowledge, process information, and perceive knowledge and truth. Meanwhile, critical social and environmental aspects such as media and group dynamics facilitate the transmission and generation of mis- and disinformation. Both psychological and social factors can amplify each other in contributing to the difficulty in battling mis- and disinformation in the contemporary digital era. Combating mis- and disinformation requires efforts from various stakeholders, especially the media, government, and regulators. There have been increasing efforts from the scientific community, media, and governments to address the detrimental impacts of mis- and disinformation. A number of strategies and interventions have been introduced or implemented at the media and policymaking levels. However, there are critiques of these approaches and calls for more multilateral efforts to address mis- and disinformation in a larger societal context.