we follow the trails of such misinformation: where it originates, how it is spread, how it is processed, how it affects our cognition, and how its effects can be alleviated. Misinformation comes in many guises. It can come from social media or from works of fiction (if you now wonder whether people really extract information from fiction, think about the fact that fiction author Michael Crichton has been invited as a climate “expert” to testify before a US Senate committee).
Misinformation is an issue for any political citizen who wants to form opinions and make decisions based on facts. If we want evidence-based practice and policy in a democratic society, then science communication, journalism, and education will have to take on the challenges associated with misinformation. Some guidelines on how best to do that can be found here.