Prebunking as a vaccine against disinformation
Rather than trying to correct disinformation after it has been disseminated, it might be better to prevent it from spreading in the first place. One method for this is known as prebunking.
Prebunking is about educating and equipping the general public with tools for recognising and dismissing disinformation, before they are subjected to it. This may involve explaining common techniques and how they are used to mislead and manipulate.
As an example, we compare prebunking with vaccination. Just like vaccines train your immune system to protect itself from viruses, knowledge of disinformation can help you reject it when you encounter it. If you can give concrete examples of disinformation, your target group will be better at detecting and identifying it in the future.
Three types of prebunking
There are three different types of prebunking – fact-based, logic-based, and source-based.
- Fact-based: Correcting a specific statement or narrative.
- Logic-based: Presenting and explaining the methods used to manipulate.
- Source-based: Pointing out bad information sources.
Prebunking – step by step
What information is being requested?
Find out what people find confusing. How can you help them identify tactics and narratives to make them less likely to fall for them?
Choose examples – consider carefully
Some rumours recur regularly – focus on them. Prioritise claims that can exploit vulnerabilities, such as just before an election. Focus on the tactics used.
Package it into truth
Prioritise the truth. Start with facts, what is true, or a very clear warning about how information has been manipulated.
Warn your audience
Warn your audience before repeating the untrue myth. Remind them that there are those who are trying to manipulate and influence them, and tell them why they want to do so.
Add details
Do not flood your audience with information. Explain why something is false. This increases credibility and gives people counter arguments, enabling them to respond to a claim.
Point out the tactics used
Use false claims as examples to help your audience learn to recognise tactics and strategies. Remind them that these can be used in different contexts.
Explain how you know what you know
Explain how you know what you know to build trust and provide tools to dismiss claims, while warning that facts may change in the future.
Keep it simple!
Strip the example down to its core and make it easy to understand. For example, use infographics to make it easier to remember and recognise later.
Make it sharable
Make your prebunking easy to share digitally to reach as many people as possible. Publish information on your website or create social media campaigns.
Find your audience and publish where they are
Publish your prebunking where your audience is already, and adapt your content to the culture and trends of the platform for effective dissemination.
Prebunking bolsters public confidence and resilience
By proactively educating and engaging the general public, as a public-sector actor you can help build a more informed and critical society, where disinformation does not get a foothold. For example, an authority that educates the general public on how rumours are spread in connection with political elections can reduce the risk of citizens falling for false claims that affect how they vote.
For public-sector actors, it is important to maintain and reinforce the trust of citizens. When people feel they have access to reliable and accurate information, they are more inclined to make informed decisions. Prebunking can play a key role in this respect by preparing the general public for the tactics used to create confusion and manipulate facts.
How can public-sector actors use prebunking?
Public-sector actors can use the prebunking method in different ways. Often, the simplest things can have a great impact.
Educate and communicate
It is not just a matter educating people on what is false, but also about equipping them with the tools to think critically and ask themselves: “Why is this information being disseminated?” and “Who benefits from me believing it?" By understanding the underlying technologies behind disinformation, citizens can become more resilient and better equipped to deal with false claims.
Inform employees and citizens about malign information influence and the tactics used. This can involve offering courses, publishing information on your website, or creating social media campaigns that prepare people for the most common tactics.
Campaigns and social media
Use public channels and social media to prepare citizens for disinformation before it spreads. This could take the form of, for example, fact-based posts explaining how disinformation is spread and how to recognise false claims.
The next step
Risk communication