ABSTRACT
Misinformation, or information that turns out to be false afterwards, has always been a challenge in risk-based situations. In times of crisis, misinformation can be particularly dangerous since most people rely on media and other information sources for details about the event, including coping strategies. In the digital age, misinformation proliferates as social media users are able to create, send, and disseminate misinformation in milliseconds with one simple click. This makes understanding misinformation in crisis and finding ways to correct it a critical area of study. This chapter enhances the understanding of misinformation during crises and how to take coping strategies to prevent and overcome emotional misinformation, even before the crisis begins. The hope is that as scholars consider the particular characteristics and processing strategies audiences use as they encounter misinformation, targeted messages can be curated and shared to correct the rapid spread of misinformation during crisis events.
