Updated: 2025-08-11
Elite misinformation refers to false or misleading information that originates from or is propagated by respected institutions, credentialed experts, and mainstream media outlets rather than fringe sources. Based on the suggested sources, here are several notable examples:
The coverage of President Bidenâs cognitive abilities represents a significant case of elite misinformation. Multiple mainstream outlets downplayed or dismissed concerns about Bidenâs mental acuity for years, only to dramatically reverse course after his debate performance made the issue undeniable [6]. This pattern of coverage suggests institutional bias in how information was presented to the public.
The New York Timesâ coverage of various political and social issues has been criticized for prioritizing narrative over accuracy. The paperâs handling of the Tom Cotton op-ed incident, where staff claimed the piece âput lives in dangerâ without substantiation, exemplifies how elite institutions can spread misleading claims about safety and harm [2].
COVID-19 Origins and Lab Leak Theory: Major media outlets and scientific institutions initially dismissed the lab leak hypothesis as a conspiracy theory, labeling those who discussed it as promoting misinformation. This position was later acknowledged as premature and potentially incorrect, with many institutions quietly reversing their stance [1].
Youth Gender Medicine: Liberal-leaning media outlets have been accused of creating a âmisinformation bubbleâ around youth gender medicine, oversimplifying complex medical debates and dismissing legitimate scientific concerns as transphobia [12]. This includes misrepresenting the strength of evidence for certain interventions and the nature of European countriesâ policy changes.
Climate Change Discourse: While climate change itself is real, elite sources have been criticized for âhighbrow climate misinformationâ - exaggerating certain impacts, misrepresenting economic trade-offs, or catastrophizing in ways that go beyond scientific consensus [5]. This includes overstating the immediacy of certain threats or the effectiveness of proposed solutions.
NPRâs Coverage Bias: A 25-year NPR veteran described how the organization lost public trust by becoming increasingly ideological, with newsroom demographics skewing heavily toward particular political viewpoints (87 registered Democrats versus zero Republicans in DC) [4]. This led to blind spots in coverage and misrepresentation of diverse American perspectives.
Economic Predictions: Economists and financial media have been criticized for systematic failures in their predictions and analyses, particularly around inflation, recession forecasts, and the impacts of various policies [13]. These expert predictions, despite being wrong, influenced public policy and investment decisions.
Grooming Gang Coverage in Britain: British media and authorities were accused of downplaying or covering up the extent of grooming gang crimes for years, prioritizing concerns about community relations over accurate reporting of systematic abuse [9].
Elite education journalism has been criticized for ideological capture, where reporters at prestigious outlets consistently frame education issues through particular political lenses rather than objectively covering diverse perspectives and empirical evidence [7]. This includes misrepresenting the effects of various educational policies and reforms.
The lessons drawn from the Iraq War by elite media have been questioned, with critics arguing that mainstream outlets learned the wrong lessons and continue to make similar errors in different contexts [8]. This includes oversimplifying complex geopolitical situations and failing to adequately question official narratives.
Jeff Bezos noted that American media is increasingly distrusted, with the perception of bias and inaccuracy contributing to a crisis of credibility [3]. This erosion of trust is partly attributed to elite misinformation - when respected institutions get major stories wrong or show clear bias, it undermines their authority more than fringe conspiracy theories ever could.
The Columbia Journalism Reviewâs retrospective on Trump coverage acknowledged that media outlets sometimes allowed their opposition to Trump to compromise their journalistic standards, leading to errors and misrepresentations that damaged credibility [10].
The key insight from these examples is that elite misinformation is particularly damaging because it comes from sources that people expect to be reliable and accurate. When prestigious institutions, credentialed experts, and mainstream media outlets spread false or misleading information, it has broader societal impact than fringe conspiracy theories because these sources shape policy, public opinion, and institutional decision-making [1][11].
Elite Misinformation Is an Underrated Problem - Argues that misinformation from elite sources is more damaging than conspiracy theories from fringe sources, citing examples like COVID lab leak dismissals
When The New York Times Lost Its Way - Critiques the Timesâ shift toward activism over objective journalism
Jeff Bezos: The hard truth: Americans donât trust the news media - Discusses the crisis of trust in mainstream media
Iâve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Hereâs How We Lost Americaâs Trust - Insider account of NPRâs ideological capture and loss of diverse perspectives
Highbrow Climate Misinformation - Examines exaggerations and misrepresentations in elite climate discourse
Did the Media Blow It on Biden? - Analyzes mediaâs failure to accurately report on Bidenâs cognitive decline
Elite Education Journalism: Still Ideology at Its Purest - Critiques ideological bias in education reporting
The Wrong Lessons of Iraq - Argues media learned incorrect lessons from Iraq War coverage
Britain Finally Admits It Covered Up Grooming Gangs - Discusses media and institutional cover-up of grooming gang crimes
Looking back on the coverage of Trump - Retrospective acknowledging media errors in Trump coverage
The misinformation crisis isnât about truth, itâs about trust - Argues the real crisis is institutional trust, not truth
The Liberal Misinformation Bubble About Youth Gender Medicine - Critiques oversimplification of complex medical debates
The failure of economists⌠- Examines systematic failures in economic predictions and analysis
Below are concrete examples of elite misinformationâcases where high-status institutions or figures promoted narratives that were false, overstated, or misleading, and were widely amplified by mainstream outlets or professional gatekeepers.
Iraq WMDs and the run-up to the 2003 war Government claims about weapons of mass destruction were treated as credible by much of the political and media establishment, shaping public opinion and policy despite weak evidence. Retrospectives emphasize how elite consensus and institutional incentives, not random social-media rumors, drove the error [10]. Official inquiries later documented severe intelligence and oversight failures, illustrating the harms of elite-driven misinformation.
RussiaâTrump coverage excesses (Steele dossier, collusion insinuations) A major review by Columbia Journalism Review argued that prominent outlets pushed aggressive, often thinly-sourced narratives around TrumpâRussia, including reporting tied to the Steele dossier that didnât hold up, eroding trust in the press [2]. NPRâs own internal critique likewise cited its Russia coverage as emblematic of a herd mentality and ideological blind spots in elite newsrooms [3].
The Hunter Biden laptop story (2020) Multiple elite outlets and figures framed the laptop as likely âdisinformationâ and downplayed or avoided coverage before the 2020 election. NPRâs veteran editor described this as a newsroom-level failure that prioritized a preferred narrative over open-minded reporting, contributing to public mistrust [3].
Media minimization of President Bidenâs cognitive/age concerns before the 2024 debate Nate Silver argues that many elite journalists downplayed or dismissed persistent concerns about Bidenâs age and acuity, resulting in a coverage shock when those concerns became undeniably salient after the debateâa case of elite narrative-setting misfiring against the observable evidence [4].
Youth gender medicine: claims of a âsettledâ science The Atlantic details how a liberal media echo chamber presented youth gender medicine as firmly evidence-based and uncontroversial, while major systematic reviews in Europe judged the evidence quality to be low and moved toward more cautious protocols. The disconnect between U.S. media narratives and evolving international evidence is a clear elite misinformation pattern [5][6].
Highbrow climate misinformation Philosopher Joseph Heath catalogs how elite discourse often veers into doomism, misreads what the IPCC actually says, and promotes simplistic âdegrowthâ or symbolic gestures over effective mitigation strategies. These narratives mislead the public about tradeoffs, timelines, and policy effectiveness despite being delivered by credentialed voices and prestigious outlets [7].
Institutional bias and narrative-first editorial choices at top news brands The Economistâs treatment of the New York Times describes how internal ideological pressures and culture-war dynamics have, at times, distorted editorial judgmentâencouraging narrative-congruent framings over more dispassionate reporting. This environment can produce or entrench misinformation by omission or overstatement [8]. Jeff Bezos likewise argues that newsrooms must confront a deep trust crisis precipitated by such elite missteps [9].
UK âgrooming gangsâ and institutional failures For years, British authorities and media elites were slow to acknowledge or investigate organized sexual exploitation in several towns. Official inquiries later documented serious institutional failuresâwith some authorities deterred by fear of being labeled racistâvindicating critics who said the establishment downplayed the problem. Commentary highlighting the eventual admissions underscores how elite gatekeepers can suppress uncomfortable truths for long periods [11][12].
Education reporting filtered through ideology Freddie deBoer argues that elite education journalism often frames stories to fit ideological priors on testing, discipline, admissions, and reform, leading to misleading narratives that minimize uncomfortable data or overstate weak claims. This is âelite misinformationâ in the sense that it originates within prestige institutions and cascades through the media ecosystem [13].
Macroeconomics and âtransitoryâ inflation A chorus of influential economists, policy elites, and media voices assured the public in 2021 that inflation was likely âtransitory.â With inflation proving more persistent, critics argue this was another case where elite consensusâand the mediaâs amplification of itâmisled the public and policymakers about risks and policy tradeoffs [14].
The general pattern: elite errors matter most Matt Yglesias emphasizes that while social-media hoaxes draw attention, the costliest misinformation tends to come from elite institutions setting agenda and framesâon wars, public health, crime, economics, and moreâbecause their errors scale across policy and public understanding [1]. As another commentator notes, the crisis is as much about trustâlost through repeated elite misjudgmentsâas it is about any single false claim [15].
Sources 1) Slow Boring â Elite Misinformation Is an Underrated Problem. Argues the most damaging misinformation comes from elites who set agendas, not from random social media. https://www.slowboring.com/p/elite-misinformation-is-an-underrated
2) Columbia Journalism Review â Looking back on the coverage of Trump. A critical postmortem of the pressâs TrumpâRussia coverage, including overreliance on weak sources and the Steele dossier. https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-ed-note.php
3) The Free Press â Iâve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Hereâs How We Lost Americaâs Trust. A veteran editor recounts newsroom bias, citing Russia coverage and the Hunter Biden laptop as emblematic failures. https://www.thefp.com/p/npr-editor-how-npr-lost-americas-trust
4) Nate Silver â Did the Media Blow It on Biden? Contends elite media downplayed Bidenâs age/fitness concerns pre-debate, leading to a credibility shock afterward. https://www.natesilver.net/p/did-the-media-blow-it-on-biden
5) The Atlantic â The Liberal Misinformation Bubble About Youth Gender Medicine. Argues U.S. liberal media portrayed youth gender medicine as settled despite low-quality evidence and international course corrections. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/transgender-youth-skrmetti/683350/
6) Cass Review (additional source) â Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (Final Report, 2024). Finds evidence base is weak and recommends more cautious, research-led approaches (context for 5). https://cass.independent-review.uk/final-report/
7) Joseph Heath (Substack) â Highbrow Climate Misinformation. Critiques elite climate narratives that exaggerate apocalypse, misread IPCC, and promote ineffective policies. https://josephheath.substack.com/p/highbrow-climate-misinformation
8) The Economist â When The New York Times Lost Its Way. Describes how internal pressures at a flagship paper can skew editorial judgment and erode trust. https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/12/14/when-the-new-york-times-lost-its-way
9) The Washington Post â Jeff Bezos: The hard truth: Americans donât trust the news media. Calls out a deep trust deficit and urges newsroom reforms to earn confidence back. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/
10) The Last Psychiatrist â The Wrong Lessons of Iraq. Reflects on elite consensus, media gatekeeping, and how they enabled the Iraq WMD misinformation cascade. https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2007/05/the_wrong_lessons_of_iraq.html
11) Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (additional source) â Summary of findings. Documents institutional failures in England and Wales, including reluctance to confront organized exploitation. https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications
12) Steve Sailer â Britain Finally Admits It Covered Up Grooming Gangs. Commentary highlighting how UK authorities and media underplayed the scandal for years before official admissions. https://www.stevesailer.net/p/britain-finally-admits-it-covered
13) Freddie deBoer (Substack) â Elite Education Journalism: Still Ideology at Its Purest. Argues elite outlets systematically misframe education issues to fit ideological priors. https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/elite-education-journalism-still
14) Not On Your Team, But Always Fair (Substack) â The failure of economists⌠Critiques the elite consensus that inflation would be âtransitory,â and the mediaâs role in amplifying it. https://www.notonyourteam.co.uk/p/the-failure-of-economists
15) Eternally Radical Idea â The misinformation crisis isnât about truth, itâs about trust. Asserts that trustâeroded by elite misstepsâis the heart of the misinformation problem. https://eternallyradicalidea.com/p/the-misinformation-crisis-isnt-about
Elite misinformation refers to misleading narratives, false or skewed information, and flawed conventional wisdom promoted by people and institutions in positions of authority, such as government officials, legacy media outlets, and academic experts [1, 3]. Unlike popular misinformation that often originates from fringe sources, elite misinformation derives its power from the credibility of its source, making it particularly influential and corrosive to public trust [4, 11].
Examples of elite misinformation identified in the provided sources span foreign policy, domestic politics, science, and media coverage:
Elite misinformation refers to the spread of false, misleading, or biased information by trusted institutions, experts, media outlets, and other elite sources, often in contrast to the more commonly discussed misinformation from social media or populist figures. This phenomenon can erode public trust, distort policy debates, and perpetuate harmful narratives, even when originating from ostensibly credible entities [1]. Unlike grassroots misinformation, elite versions often stem from ideological biases, institutional pressures, or failures in journalistic standards, and they can be particularly insidious because they carry the weight of authority [2][3][4]. Below, I outline several examples drawn from the suggested sources, categorized for clarity. These illustrate how elite misinformation manifests across politics, media, science, and policy. Where relevant, Iâve incorporated insights from additional reputable sources for completeness and accuracy, such as reports from fact-checking organizations or academic analyses.
Media Downplaying Joe Bidenâs Cognitive Decline: Mainstream outlets like The New York Times and NPR were criticized for minimizing concerns about President Bidenâs age and mental fitness prior to his 2024 debate performance, despite internal warnings and evidence from sources like special counsel Robert Hurâs report. This selective reporting created a misleading narrative that Biden was fully capable, potentially influencing public perception and the Democratic nomination process [6]. A related analysis from Politico highlighted how this echoed broader media failures in scrutinizing elite figures [15].
Overhyped or Biased Coverage of Donald Trump: Elite media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, have been accused of amplifying unverified claims about Trump, such as the âRussia collusionâ narrative during the 2016-2020 period, which was later debunked by investigations like the Mueller Report. This contributed to a polarized environment where factual reporting was overshadowed by sensationalism [10]. The Columbia Journalism Reviewâs retrospective noted that while some coverage was accurate, much of it prioritized narrative over nuance, fostering distrust [10].
The Iraq War and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Leading media and government elites, including The New York Times, promoted the false claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion. This was based on flawed intelligence and echoed by experts, leading to widespread public support for the war despite later admissions of error [8]. A 2004 editorial from The New York Times itself acknowledged relying on unreliable sources, exemplifying how elite consensus can propagate misinformation [16].
Cover-Up of Grooming Gangs in the UK: British authorities, media, and elites downplayed or ignored widespread child sexual exploitation by predominantly Pakistani gangs in cities like Rotherham, fearing accusations of racism. Reports were suppressed for years, with outlets like the BBC and The Guardian accused of selective silence until official inquiries in 2020 confirmed the scale of the cover-up [9]. This elite reluctance to address uncomfortable truths allowed the abuse to continue, as detailed in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse [17].
Misinformation on Youth Gender Medicine: Liberal-leaning media and medical elites, including outlets like The New York Times, have been criticized for downplaying risks associated with puberty blockers and gender-affirming care for minors, often framing skepticism as transphobia. This created a âmisinformation bubbleâ that ignored evidence from reviews like the UKâs Cass Report, which found weak evidence for such treatments [12]. The Atlantic article highlights how this elite narrative persisted despite emerging data on potential harms [12].
Biases in Education Journalism: Elite education reporting, such as in The Atlantic and The New Yorker, often promotes ideologically driven narratives, like exaggerating the benefits of progressive teaching methods while ignoring evidence of their failures (e.g., in math and reading scores). This stems from journalistsâ alignment with elite educational institutions, leading to misinformation that influences policy [7].
Highbrow Climate Misinformation: Elite commentators and academics, including those in prestigious journals, spread overly alarmist or simplified claims about climate change, such as predicting imminent catastrophe without nuance (e.g., exaggerating sea-level rise impacts). This âhighbrowâ misinformation, often from sources like The Guardian or academic papers, can undermine credible climate action by fostering skepticism when predictions fail to materialize [5].
Economic Forecasting Failures: Economists from elite institutions like the IMF and Federal Reserve repeatedly failed to predict major events, such as the 2008 financial crisis or post-COVID inflation, yet their optimistic models influenced policy. This included downplaying risks in housing markets, leading to public misinformation about economic stability [13]. A study from the Peterson Institute for International Economics corroborated these systemic forecasting errors [18].
NPRâs Ideological Slant: A former NPR editor revealed how the outletâs overwhelmingly liberal staff led to biased coverage, such as underreporting the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020 (later verified as authentic) and overemphasizing narratives like systemic racism without balanced perspectives. This internal culture contributed to lost public trust [4].
The New York Timesâ Shift Toward Advocacy: The Times has been critiqued for prioritizing ideological narratives over objective journalism, such as in its coverage of transgender issues or the 1619 Project, which contained historical inaccuracies (e.g., claiming the American Revolution was primarily about preserving slavery, later corrected). This reflects a broader trend where elite media acts as an advocate rather than a neutral arbiter [2].
These examples underscore that elite misinformation often arises from groupthink, fear of backlash, or institutional incentives, exacerbating the broader crisis of trust in media and experts [3][11]. Addressing it requires greater transparency, diverse viewpoints, and accountability in elite institutions [1][14].
Elite misinformation refers to false or misleading information deliberately spread by powerful individuals, institutions, or groups in positions of authority to serve their interests, maintain power, or shape public opinion. This phenomenon has occurred throughout history and continues to manifest in various forms today.
One of the most consequential examples of elite misinformation was the tobacco industryâs decades-long campaign to obscure the health risks of smoking. Despite internal knowledge of smokingâs dangers as early as the 1950s, tobacco companies funded misleading research, created doubt about scientific consensus, and marketed cigarettes as safe or even healthy [1]. This deliberate deception resulted in millions of preventable deaths and established a blueprint for corporate disinformation campaigns.
The lead industry similarly engaged in systematic misinformation about the dangers of lead exposure, particularly in gasoline and paint. For decades, industry leaders suppressed research, attacked scientists who raised concerns, and promoted lead products despite knowing their toxic effects on human health, especially in children [2].
Governments have frequently deployed misinformation to justify military actions or policies. The Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, which was used to escalate U.S. involvement in Vietnam, was later revealed to have been significantly misrepresented to Congress and the public [3]. More recently, the claims about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq that justified the 2003 invasion were based on flawed intelligence that was presented with unwarranted certainty [4].
Political elites across the spectrum have engaged in misinformation campaigns. This includes false claims about election integrity, misleading statements about economic policies and their impacts, and the spread of conspiracy theories that serve political purposes [5]. The âbirtherâ conspiracy about President Obamaâs birthplace and false claims about the 2020 U.S. election results represent modern examples of elite-driven political misinformation [6].
The 2008 financial crisis revealed extensive misinformation from financial institutions about the risks of mortgage-backed securities and other complex financial products. Rating agencies, banks, and other financial elites misrepresented the safety of these investments, contributing to a global economic collapse [7].
The fossil fuel industry has engaged in climate change misinformation campaigns since at least the 1970s, funding think tanks and research to create doubt about climate science despite their own internal research confirming the risks of greenhouse gas emissions [8]. Companies like ExxonMobil had sophisticated climate models decades ago but publicly promoted uncertainty about climate change [9].
Social media companies have been accused of spreading misinformation about their platformsâ impacts on mental health, particularly among young users. Internal documents from Facebook (now Meta) revealed the company was aware of Instagramâs negative effects on teenage girlsâ mental health while publicly downplaying these concerns [10].
News media organizations have also been implicated in spreading elite misinformation, whether through selective reporting, misleading framing, or outright fabrication. The phone hacking scandal involving News Corporation outlets in the UK demonstrated how media elites could manipulate information and violate privacy for profit [11].
The opioid crisis provides a stark example of pharmaceutical industry misinformation. Companies like Purdue Pharma deliberately misled doctors and patients about the addictive nature of opioid painkillers, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths [12]. The companyâs executives knew about the addiction risks but marketed OxyContin as having low addiction potential.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, various forms of elite misinformation emerged, including some government officials downplaying the virusâs severity, spreading false information about treatments, or making misleading claims about public health measures [13].
Elite misinformation is particularly dangerous because it comes from trusted sources with significant platforms and resources. It often involves sophisticated strategies including funding think tanks, commissioning favorable research, using public relations firms, and leveraging media connections [14]. The impacts can be devastating, leading to unnecessary deaths, environmental destruction, economic losses, and erosion of public trust in institutions.
Understanding elite misinformation requires recognizing that it is not merely about individual false statements but often involves systematic campaigns that exploit information asymmetries between elites and the public. These campaigns frequently use techniques like manufacturing doubt, false balance in media coverage, and astroturfing (creating fake grassroots movements) [15].
[1] Proctor, R. N. (2011). Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. University of California Press. - Details the tobacco industryâs deliberate deception about smoking risks. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520270169/golden-holocaust
[2] Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (2013). Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of Americaâs Children. University of California Press. - Examines how the lead industry suppressed information about leadâs dangers. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520273337/lead-wars
[3] Shane, S. (2005). âVietnam Study, Casting Doubts, Remains Secret.â The New York Times. - Discusses revelations about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/31/politics/vietnam-study-casting-doubts-remains-secret.html
[4] Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (2008). Report on Whether Public Statements Regarding Iraq Were Substantiated by Intelligence. - Official report examining pre-war intelligence claims. https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/publications/report-whether-public-statements-regarding-iraq-were-substantiated-intelligence
[5] Bennett, W. L., & Livingston, S. (2018). âThe disinformation order: Disruptive communication and the decline of democratic institutions.â European Journal of Communication, 33(2), 122-139. - Analyzes how political elites use disinformation. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0267323118760317
[6] Nyhan, B., & Reifler, J. (2010). âWhen corrections fail: The persistence of political misperceptions.â Political Behavior, 32(2), 303-330. - Studies the persistence of political misinformation. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-010-9112-2
[7] Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (2011). The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report. - Official report documenting misinformation in the financial sector. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-FCIC/pdf/GPO-FCIC.pdf
[8] Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. M. (2010). Merchants of Doubt. Bloomsbury Press. - Exposes how industries create doubt about scientific consensus. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/merchants-of-doubt-9781608193943/
[9] Supran, G., & Oreskes, N. (2017). âAssessing ExxonMobilâs climate change communications.â Environmental Research Letters, 12(8). - Analyzes ExxonMobilâs climate misinformation. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa815f
[10] Wells, G., Horwitz, J., & Seetharaman, D. (2021). âFacebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show.â The Wall Street Journal. - Reveals internal knowledge of Instagramâs harmful effects. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739
[11] Davies, N. (2014). Hack Attack: The Inside Story of How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch. Faber & Faber. - Details the News Corporation phone hacking scandal. https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571314720-hack-attack.html
[12] Keefe, P. R. (2021). Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. Doubleday. - Exposes Purdue Pharmaâs role in the opioid crisis. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609069/empire-of-pain-by-patrick-radden-keefe/
[13] Evanega, S., Lynas, M., Adams, J., & Smolenyak, K. (2020). âCoronavirus misinformation: quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19 âinfodemicâ.â Cornell Alliance for Science. - Documents COVID-19 misinformation sources. https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Evanega-et-al-Coronavirus-misinformation-submitted_07_23_20-1.pdf
[14] Farrell, J., McConnell, K., & Brulle, R. (2019). âEvidence-based strategies to combat scientific misinformation.â Nature Climate Change, 9(3), 191-195. - Analyzes strategies used in elite misinformation campaigns. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0368-6
[15] Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K., & Cook, J. (2017). âBeyond misinformation: Understanding and coping with the âpost-truthâ era.â Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 6(4), 353-369. - Provides framework for understanding systematic misinformation. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211368117300700
Elite misinformation refers to false or misleading claims originating from influential actorsâsuch as government officials, major media organizations, and large corporationsâwhose prominence gives their statements outsized reach and credibility. Below are well-documented examples across domains, each substantiated by official inquiries, court rulings, or authoritative investigations.
Government and national security
Public health and medicine
Climate and environment
Elections, media, and political communication
Why these examples matter
Sources 1) The Iraq Inquiry (Chilcot), Executive Summary (2016). Concludes UK presented the case for war with unjustified certainty; intelligence did not support claims made at the time. https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20171123122743/http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/the-report/
2) CIA Iraq Survey Group (Duelfer Report) (2004). Finds Iraq did not possess stockpiles of WMD at the time of the 2003 invasion. https://fas.org/irp/cia/product/iraq-wmd.html
3) Hanyok, R. (NSA historian), âSkunks, Bogies, Silent Hounds, and the Flying Fishâ (declassified). Shows the second Gulf of Tonkin attack likely did not occur and details misinterpretation/misrepresentation of signals intelligence. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB132/re20040213Hanyok.pdf
4) District Court of The Hague (2022) MH17 judgment summary. Concludes MH17 was downed by a Buk missile fired from separatist-controlled territory using a Russian-supplied system; rejects alternative narratives. https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie-en-contact/Organisatie/Rechtbanken/Rechtbank-Den-Haag/Nieuws/Paginas/Judgment-in-criminal-case-MH17.aspx
5) U.S. v. Philip Morris USA Inc. (D.D.C. 2006), Final Opinion. Federal court finds tobacco companies engaged in a decades-long scheme to mislead the public about smokingâs health risks and addictiveness. https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/doj-final-opinion.pdf
6) Brown & Williamson memo (1969), âDoubt is our product.â Illustrates deliberate strategy to manufacture uncertainty about smoking risks. https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=gygf0040
7) U.S. DOJ (2007) press release on Purdue guilty plea. Purdue and executives plead guilty to misbranding OxyContin; acknowledges misleading marketing that understated addiction risks. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/purdue-frederick-company-inc-and-top-executives-plead-guilty-misbranding-oxycontin
8) U.S. DOJ (2020) Purdue Pharma global resolution. Details unlawful marketing and civil/criminal penalties related to the opioid crisis. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-global-resolution-criminal-and-civil-investigations-purdue-pharma
9) White House (Apr. 23, 2020) briefing transcript. Records Presidentâs remarks speculating about injecting disinfectant/using internal light; spurred warnings from health authorities. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/press-briefing-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-042320/
10) U.S. FDA (June 15, 2020) revokes hydroxychloroquine EUA and cautions against use due to lack of benefit and risk of serious heart rhythm problems. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-revokes-emergency-use-authorization-chloroquine-and https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-cautions-against-use-hydroxychloroquine-or-chloroquine-covid-19-due-risk-heart-rhythms
11) BBC News (Mar. 2020) coverage of Brazilian President calling COVID-19 a âlittle flu.â Documents elite downplaying of disease severity. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-52040218
12) WHO (July 4, 2020) discontinues hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir arms in Solidarity Trial due to lack of benefit. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/who-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-and-lopinavir-ritonavir-treatment-arms-for-covid-19
13) Supran, Rahmstorf, Lewandowsky, Oreskes (2023), Science. Finds Exxonâs internal climate projections were highly accurate even as public communications emphasized uncertainty. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0063
14) InsideClimate News (2015) âExxon: The Road Not Taken.â Investigative series showing Exxonâs early knowledge of climate risks and later public doubt-casting. https://insideclimatenews.org/project/exxon-the-road-not-taken/
15) UK Statistics Authority (2017) letter regarding the ÂŁ350m/week claim. States use of the number is misleading and not an appropriate use of official statistics. https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/correspondence/uk-statistics-authority-letter-from-chair-to-boris-johnson-mp/
16) Full Fact analysis of the ÂŁ350m/week claim. Explains why the figure is misleading (rebate and other adjustments). https://fullfact.org/europe/350-million-week-eu-membership-fee-boris-johnson-statistics-authority/
17) Delaware Superior Court (2023) opinion in Dominion v. Fox. Court rules certain claims about Dominion were false; case later settled for $787.5m. https://courts.delaware.gov/Opinions/Download.aspx?id=344840
18) CISA (Nov. 12, 2020) joint statement. Election officials state the 2020 U.S. election was the most secure in American history, contradicting widespread fraud narratives. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election
Elite misinformation refers to the dissemination of false or misleading information by individuals or institutions holding positions of power, authority, and public trust. Unlike grassroots misinformation, which often originates from anonymous online accounts, elite misinformation leverages the credibility of governments, established media outlets, corporations, and influential public figures to shape public opinion and policy. This form of misinformation can be particularly damaging due to its wide reach and the perceived legitimacy of its source.
Here are several prominent examples of elite misinformation across different domains:
The âWeapons of Mass Destructionâ in Iraq (2002-2003): Perhaps one of the most consequential examples, senior officials in the United States and United Kingdom governments, including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Prime Minister Tony Blair, repeatedly and forcefully asserted that Saddam Husseinâs regime in Iraq possessed an active weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented this case to the United Nations in February 2003, citing supposed intelligence about mobile biological weapons labs [1]. Subsequent investigations, including the Iraq Survey Groupâs final report, found no evidence of WMD stockpiles or an active program at the time of the invasion. This misinformation was the primary justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a conflict with immense human and geopolitical costs [2].
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964): The administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson used a pair of alleged unprovoked attacks by North Vietnamese torpedo boats on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin to secure near-unanimous congressional approval for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution granted President Johnson the authority to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. While the first incident on August 2 likely occurred, evidence later declassified by the National Security Agency (NSA) revealed that the second âattackâ on August 4 almost certainly never happened and was based on misinterpretations of radar and sonar signals by anxious naval personnel [3]. Officials, however, presented the events to Congress and the public as definitive proof of North Vietnamese aggression, effectively manufacturing a pretext for war.
False Claims Regarding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election: In the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, President Donald Trump and his close allies initiated a sustained campaign to delegitimize the results. They promoted numerous false and unsubstantiated claims, such as allegations of widespread voter fraud, manipulated voting machines, and a âstolenâ election [4]. This misinformation was broadcast directly from the highest level of the U.S. government through official statements, press conferences, and social media. Despite being systematically debunked by election officials from both parties, federal agencies like CISA (which called the 2020 election âthe most secure in American historyâ), and dozens of court rulings, the claims fueled widespread distrust in the democratic process and culminated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol [5].
The Tobacco Industryâs Denial of Cancer Links: For decades, major tobacco companies engaged in a sophisticated and well-funded public relations campaign to obscure the scientific evidence linking smoking to lung cancer and other diseases. Executives from the largest tobacco companies testified under oath before the U.S. Congress in 1994, famously stating their belief that nicotine was not addictive [6]. They funded their own research institutes, like the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, to create scientific doubt and promote âcontroversyâ around what was already a firm medical consensus. Internal industry documents later revealed that their own scientists were aware of the carcinogenic and addictive properties of their products long before they admitted it publicly [7].
The Fossil Fuel Industry and Climate Change Doubt: Beginning in the 1980s, major oil and gas companies like Exxon (now ExxonMobil) conducted internal research that confirmed the role of burning fossil fuels in causing global warming. Despite their own scientistsâ conclusions, these companies spent millions of dollars on lobbying and public relations campaigns to sow doubt about climate science and delay government action [8]. They funded think tanks and front groups that questioned the scientific consensus, emphasized the uncertainties in climate models, and promoted the idea of a âdebateâ where little existed within the expert community. This elite-driven campaign successfully delayed public understanding and meaningful policy responses to climate change for decades [9].
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972): This is an egregious historical example of institutional deception by a government health body. The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) conducted a study on hundreds of impoverished African American men with syphilis in Alabama. The men were told they were receiving free health care from the U.S. government for âbad blood.â In reality, the researchers were merely observing the natural progression of untreated syphilis. The men were never given adequate treatment for their disease, and even when penicillin became the standard cure for syphilis in the 1940s, the USPHS actively prevented the participants from receiving it [10]. This misinformation, perpetrated by elite medical researchers and government officials, was a profound ethical violation that led to preventable deaths, suffering, and a deep, lasting distrust of the medical establishment within the African American community.
Promotion of Unproven COVID-19 Treatments: During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation about treatments came from various sources, including prominent political leaders. For instance, high-level officials in the U.S. and Brazil repeatedly promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment or preventative for COVID-19, despite a lack of strong scientific evidence [11]. This endorsement from elite figures led to a surge in demand, shortages for patients who needed the drug for approved uses (like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), and public confusion. Subsequent, more rigorous clinical trials overwhelmingly showed that hydroxychloroquine was not effective against COVID-19 and could even cause harmful side effects. This case illustrates how elites can amplify premature or false scientific claims, undermining the guidance of public health agencies [12].
https://carnegieendowment.org/files/Report_-_WMD_in_Iraq_1.pdf
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/108301.pdf
https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-articles/gulf-of-tonkin/assets/files/gulf_of_tonkin_mystery.pdf
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/network-propaganda-9780190923624
https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/11/12/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election
https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=pcnb0222
https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft8489p25j&brand=ucpress
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/
https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/
https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/world/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-coronavirus.html
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2022926
Elite misinformation refers to false, misleading, or unsubstantiated information disseminated by individuals or institutions in positions of power, authority, or high social statusâsuch as political leaders, government officials, corporate executives, influential media figures, or experts in their fields. Unlike grassroots misinformation, which often spreads organically among the public, elite misinformation leverages the credibility and reach of elites to influence public opinion, policy, or behavior. This can occur intentionally (e.g., for political or economic gain) or unintentionally (e.g., due to biases or errors). It is particularly harmful because elitesâ statements are often amplified by media and trusted by large audiences, leading to widespread acceptance and real-world consequences like policy failures, public health crises, or social division [1].
Research indicates that elite misinformation can erode trust in institutions, polarize societies, and hinder informed decision-making. For instance, studies show that when elites propagate false narratives, their followers are more likely to adopt and spread them, creating echo chambers [2]. Below, I outline several well-documented examples across different domains, drawing from historical and contemporary cases. These examples are supported by credible sources, including academic analyses and investigative reports.
One prominent example is the assertions by U.S. and U.K. government officials, including President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and posed an imminent threat. These claims were used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Investigations later revealed that the intelligence was flawed, exaggerated, or fabricatedâsuch as the infamous âdodgy dossierâ in the U.K. and unsubstantiated links between Iraq and al-Qaeda. This misinformation, propagated by political elites, led to a war that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and long-term geopolitical instability [3]. The Chilcot Inquiry in the U.K. confirmed that the evidence was presented with unwarranted certainty, misleading the public and parliament [4].
Major tobacco companies, led by executives from firms like Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, systematically spread misinformation denying the link between smoking and diseases like lung cancer, despite internal research showing otherwise. Through public relations campaigns, sponsored âscientificâ studies, and lobbying, these corporate elites claimed smoking was safe or that the evidence was inconclusive. This delayed regulations and public health warnings for decades, contributing to millions of preventable deaths worldwide. The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement in the U.S. exposed internal documents revealing deliberate deception [5]. Historians and public health experts view this as a classic case of elite-driven misinformation for profit [6].
Several world leaders disseminated false information about COVID-19, exacerbating the crisis. For example, former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly downplayed the virusâs severity, promoted unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine, and suggested injecting disinfectants as a cureâclaims contradicted by health experts. Similarly, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called COVID-19 a âlittle fluâ and opposed lockdowns, influencing public behavior and contributing to high death tolls in both countries [7]. Studies from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) highlight how such elite statements fueled vaccine hesitancy and misinformation cascades on social media [8]. In the U.K., initial government claims of âherd immunityâ without vaccination were later retracted as misleading [9].
Leading up to the 2008 crisis, executives from major banks like Lehman Brothers and rating agencies such as Moodyâs misrepresented the risks of subprime mortgages and complex financial products like collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). They promoted these as safe investments, despite internal knowledge of their volatility, leading to a housing bubble and global recession. The U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission report detailed how elite figures in finance engaged in âsystemicâ misinformation, including falsified risk assessments, which misled investors and regulators [10]. This example illustrates how corporate elites can propagate misinformation to sustain profit-driven narratives, with cascading economic effects [11].
Fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil, along with supportive politicians, have funded campaigns and think tanks to cast doubt on human-caused climate change, despite overwhelming scientific consensus. Internal documents from Exxon, revealed in investigations, show the company knew about climate risks since the 1970s but publicly denied them through ads and lobbying. Political figures, such as some U.S. senators aligned with industry, have echoed these claims, delaying policy action [12]. Research from climate scientists and journalists underscores this as elite misinformation aimed at protecting economic interests, with global consequences like delayed emissions reductions [13].
These examples demonstrate that elite misinformation often involves a mix of omission, exaggeration, and fabrication, amplified by access to media and power structures. To combat it, experts recommend fact-checking initiatives, media literacy education, and accountability mechanisms like independent inquiries [1][2]. However, challenges persist due to the influence elites wield.
[1] Nyhan, Brendan. âWhy the âDeath Panelâ Myth Wouldnât Die: Misinformation in the Health Care Reform Debate.â The Forum (2010). This article discusses how elite cues from politicians and media figures sustain misinformation, using health policy as a case study. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.2202/1540-8884.1364/html
[2] Lewandowsky, Stephan, et al. âMisinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing.â Psychological Science in the Public Interest (2012). The authors argue that misinformation from trusted elites is harder to correct due to cognitive biases. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1529100612451018
[3] Isikoff, Michael, and David Corn. Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War (2006). This book details how U.S. officials misrepresented intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/124907/hubris-by-michael-isikoff-and-david-corn/
[4] The Chilcot Report (2016). Official U.K. inquiry concluding that Iraq WMD claims were presented misleadingly by government elites. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-iraq-inquiry
[5] Brandt, Allan M. The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America (2007). Brandt views tobacco executivesâ campaigns as deliberate elite misinformation for profit. https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/allan-m-brandt/the-cigarette-century/9780465070480/
[6] Proctor, Robert N. âThe History of the Discovery of the CigaretteâLung Cancer Link: Evidentiary Traditions, Corporate Denial, Global Toll.â Tobacco Control (2012). Proctor highlights corporate elitesâ role in denying health evidence. https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/21/2/87
[7] Lancet Editorial. âCOVID-19 in Brazil: âSo What?ââ The Lancet (2020). This piece criticizes Bolsonaroâs misinformation as elite-driven negligence. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31095-3/fulltext
[8] WHO. âManaging the COVID-19 Infodemic: Promoting Healthy Behaviours and Mitigating the Harm from Misinformation and Disinformationâ (2020). WHO notes how leadersâ false claims amplified pandemic misinformation. https://www.who.int/news/item/23-09-2020-managing-the-covid-19-infodemic-promoting-healthy-behaviours-and-mitigating-the-harm-from-misinformation-and-disinformation
[9] Hunter, David J. âCovid-19 and the Stiff Upper Lip â The Pandemic Response in the United Kingdom.â New England Journal of Medicine (2020). Hunter critiques U.K. elitesâ initial herd immunity narrative as misleading. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2005755
[10] Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. âThe Financial Crisis Inquiry Reportâ (2011). The report attributes the crisis partly to misinformation by financial elites. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-FCIC/pdf/GPO-FCIC.pdf
[11] Stiglitz, Joseph E. âThe Anatomy of a Murder: Who Killed Americaâs Economy?â Critical Review (2009). Stiglitz argues that elite financial narratives hid systemic risks. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08913810902934133
[12] Union of Concerned Scientists. âThe Climate Deception Dossiersâ (2015). This report exposes fossil fuel elitesâ denial campaigns. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/climate-deception-dossiers
[13] Oreskes, Naomi, and Erik M. Conway. Merchants of Doubt (2010). The authors describe how industry elites manufactured doubt on climate science. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/merchants-of-doubt-9781608193943/