U.S. Surgeon General Dissects the Meanings of Misinformation and Disinformation

The current manual of the U.S. Surgeon General spells out the definitions of misinformation and disinformation. And now it’s all so very clear, thank you. As I see it, the only vague words in these two definitions are: "false," "inaccurate," "misleading" "according to" "best," "available" "serve" "malicious" and "trick." I might have missed a few others.

When the next pandemic comes along, all we need to do is ask the government to figure out what these words mean and to protect us from thinking for ourselves.

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Utah City Attempts to Ban Books. Librarians Criticize their City. City Punishes Librarians

Here is an excerpt from FIRE's threat letter to the city of Orem, Utah. The city is punishing librarians for their criticism the city's attempt to ban books:

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is writing to demand that the City of Orem stop retaliating against our client, the Utah Library Association (the ULA), for criticizing the City’s decision to ban book displays that promote views City officials do not like. After supporting its librarians’ participation in the ULA for years, the City has stripped those benefits, forcing Orem library staff to pay out of pocket and use personal time to participate in ULA programs and activities, even while the City provides similar professional development benefits to other departments. In addition, the City has threatened librarians who dare to speak out against the City on social media with discipline for insubordination. The City’s actions violate our client’s First Amendment rights to free speech and free association . . . .

Continue ReadingUtah City Attempts to Ban Books. Librarians Criticize their City. City Punishes Librarians