Elite misinformation as strategy

Sometimes powerful institutions intentionally or negligently present misleading accounts because the narrative yields political or organizational benefits (e.g., preserving advocacy momentum or legitimating policy choices). These are not accidental errors or fringe memes but institutional information strategies that shape policy, media attention, and public trust. — Recognizing elite misinformation reframes remedies from platform moderation to institutional transparency, auditability, and incentives for accurate public communication.