The point of disinformation is not as obvious as it seems. In a classic situation, like during a gossip session, a load of information is exchanged that isn’t true. It’s full of exaggerations, half-truths, and outright lies.
This doesn’t support a belief in a relay of facts that are newsworthy, but its purpose is to help us feel relieved of pressure, forgetful of our duties, and to lighten the mood in an otherwise dreary day.
The purpose of disinformation is more subversive, but fits into this exactly. The idea is to spread dangerous lies but in an informal way. Its aim is to distort reality to fit a secret motive or a new idea that isn’t true.
The instance of it isn’t the entire point at all. In my experience, it’s just part of a long period in which someone is convinced of an untruth. It may start with a false rationale and end in an assumption that’s misleading.
