"Misinformation" is, of course, a lie, but a particularly dangerous and malicious form of lie. It is usually in the form of a degrading assertion about a person or movement that may have a kernel of truth or may be invented out of whole cloth.
The purpose is not to win an argument, and if challenged the assertion is dropped and the challenge ignored or given some sort of hand wave.
What happens is the reader may forget the exact accusation, but is unavoidably left with a negative or uncomfortable sense about the person attacked.
This is the way Trump got the Republican nomination and it seems now this is the way he and his operatives plan to get the Presidency. Unfortunately the internet works well for this sort of thing, although misinformation has been around a lot longer than the internet and seems to work elsewhere too.
We need to remember that because someone says some is "weak" at this or "selfish" at that or "dishonest" or whatever and either provides no evidence or only provides evidence that in no way demonstrates the accusation, what is being done is you are being manipulated.
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