In an era of nonstop news and high-stakes global conflict, disinformation has become one of the most pervasive threats to national security. For security clearance holders, this is more than just noise in your news feed—it’s a matter of trust and responsibility.
Following recent global events, including escalating tensions in the Middle East, there has been an increasingly sharp uptick in disinformation flooding social media platforms. Even if your role doesn’t involve policy or analysis, simply being part of the trusted workforce means you play a part in shaping how accurate information is shared and how misinformation is stopped.
The good news: sharing something inaccurate won’t automatically impact your clearance. But that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. People in your network—especially those outside the cleared community—often view your posts through a different lens. When trusted professionals share bad information, it spreads further and faster.
That’s why it’s worth following organizations like Trust in Media Cooperative, led by The Honorable Ellen McCarthy, a longtime intelligence community leader now focused on improving media literacy and fighting disinformation. Her nonprofit offers tools and resources that help people become more informed digital citizens.
If you’ve ever shared something and later found it was inaccurate, you’re not alone. Even professionals in this space occasionally get “skunked” by premature headlines or misinterpreted policies. What matters is the correction—doing what you can to set the record straight and model responsible information-sharing.
So yes, take your summer brain break. Watch the reality shows, get outside and recharge. But also stay alert, stay informed, and continue being a conscious consumer and sharer of information. That’s part of what keeps the trusted workforce truly trustworthy.
