The sixth misinformation principle is that misinformation requires more resources than information. Rumors can be started without much effort, but the most useful misinformation persuades people to ignore, deny or reinterpret what their own experiences would otherwise be telling them.
In Systems out of Balance I report on the almost comical activities of Monsanto in regards to BGH, Bovine Growth Hormone. We are the only industrialized nation that allows for BGH on the market, thanks to Monsanto’s Herculean effort at misinformation. First, they held back studies that incriminated their product. Second, they arranged secretly for agribusinesses to feed cattle with their product to keep the public from knowing. Third, they threatened to sue a news station for an investigative report they were about to do. They did not have much of a case, mind you, but the Fox station decided that the cost of litigation was not worth sticking their neck out.
Fourth, the real icing on the cake, Monsanto successfully lobbied in some state legislatures to prevent organic farmers from labeling their products as not having BGH. Yes, obstructing information became so fashionable for Monsanto that they lobbied to obstruct the information that other businesses freely wanted to provide. Imagine the costs in corporate lawyers alone for Monsanto’s shenanigans.
That is precisely the point. Monsanto would not have to spend a dime to let a free flow of information about BGH come out. Genuine information of genuine importance will find a way to spread. Obstructing or distorting such information requires more resources, particularly money, in order to succeed. Misinformation campaigns can reach exorbitant costs when your own product/mission needs a lot of hype for people to buy into it, or success depends on negatively branding your competitor or opponent.
Here is a general rule of thumb. The more being invested in a source of information, the more likely what is peddled is really misinformation. By the way, more than one billion dollars a year are now being spent on think tanks.
Tags: Interest Groups, Misinformation
