Abstract

Misinformation is an issue many journalists have tried to tackle as the popularity of the Internet and social media has boomed. The proliferation of visual misinformation has been a concern for journalists today as they grapple with the rise of bad actors and
the increased ease of posting online. In the past decade, the public’s trust of journalists has decreased, and the presence of visual misinformation online has only fueled that mistrust. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, have played a role in
spreading misinformation online, especially since the 2016 US presidential elections. Only in the past few years has research on the topic of visual misinformation increased, but not enough data have been collected on the long-term effects of such in the online
world or on the audience. In this essay, I summarize what visual misinformation is and describe the impact that social media has had on it. Highlighting some existing practices and programs, I will explain how journalists and the public can protect themselves from
visual misinformation. Three main concepts will be discussed as to how to deal with visual misinformation in relation to social media. The three main concepts that will be discussed are the roles of social media platforms, journalistic practices, and media literacy. This essay aims to further research on the long-term effects of visual misinformation.