Understanding and recognizing how factual information distinguishes itself from misinformation and disinformation is the first step is recognizing the possibility that someone is using gaslighting techniques to present information. Remember that a credible source presents information in a "credible" way -- by providing accurate facts, data, and evidence that can be corroborated, measured, seen, or proved. Their goal is to educate or inform.
A gaslighter will propagate disinformation and lies to manipulate people into supporting them. The disinformation is meant to create confusion and cause you to doubt what yourself. This cartoon below a great visual example of how gaslighting is meant to confuse. You may find yourself thinking, "Wait!?! What??!?" When you find yourself thinking the same with any information source, stop, ground yourself, and do a little research to try and make sense of what's being presented to you and why. Who benefits from confusing you and causing you do doubt yourself?
Source: Tom Chitty. "Daily Cartoon; Thursday August 23, 2018." NewYorker. 2018
This is a relatively recent term (2020) and a play on the term "whitewashing," which means portraying some as better than it actually is. Sanewashing is an attempt to normalize or downplay distorted, outrageous, and clearly false information to make it seem normal, sane, and rational.
Source: Cartoon Resource. Adobe Stock. Education License.
