In extraordinary times of rapid information production and sharing, distrust and disruption, disinformation is having an increasing impact on cities. And cities are, therefore, on the front line of disinformation response strategies.
Local authorities are the closest level of government to the people, and they are tasked with leading communities through ever more complex societal and global challenges that affect residents locally. This playbook has been developed with cities and sector experts to guide disinformation response in the unique city context.
Disinformation (i.e. concerted fabrications that are deliberately misleading) and misinformation (i.e. inaccurate information unintentionally held and/or shared) are nothing new in cities globally. However, during the past decade, disinformation has exploded in both prevalence and impact.
Cities around the world play increasingly sophisticated functional roles not only because they house most of the world’s population but also because of the way disinformation can disrupt the complex social and political fabric of urban life.