information pollution

[ in-fer-mey-shuhn puh-loo-shuhn ]

noun

1. the introduction of falsehood, irrelevance, bias, and sensationalism into a source of information, resulting in a dilution or outright suppression of essential facts:

   She could no longer tolerate the willful practice of information pollution at the network, and they happily accepted her resignation.

   Has information pollution succeeded in diminishing the value of truth?

Word History and Origins

Origin of information pollution¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Similarly, so-called "information pollution" or "data smog" must be addressed.

From Science Daily

Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun tweeted on Monday that Turkey was experiencing "serious information pollution" and authorities would share a daily bulletin correcting false information.

From Reuters

And CIVIX, a Canadian nonprofit focused on civic education and combating information pollution, introduces its offerings by first showing a video of Michael Caulfield, director of networked and blended learning at Washington State University–Vancouver.

From Slate

Now, drawing on social media scholar Claire Wardle’s term “information pollution,” she and College of Charleston scholar Ryan Milner are writing a book that reframes the digital world as an ecosystem in crisis.

From The Verge

Americans live in a world of information pollution—and the subsequent tragedy of this new environmental reality is that no one has been able to figure out a reliable method of clearing the air.

From The Verge