We conducted ethnographic research with 31 misinformation creators and consumers in Brazil and the US before, during, and after a major election to understand the consumption and production of election and medical misinformation. This study contributes to research on misinformation ecosystems by focusing on poorly understood small players, or "micro-influencers", who create misinformation in peer-to-peer networks. We detail four key tactics that micro-influencers use. First, they typically disseminate misleading "gray area" content rather than falsifiable claims, using subtle aesthetic and rhetorical tactics to evade moderation. Second, they post in small, closed groups where members feel safe and predisposed to trust content. Third, they explicitly target misinformation consumers' emotional and social needs. Finally, they post a high volume of short, repetitive content to plant seeds of doubt and build trust in influencers as unofficial experts. We discuss the implications these micro-influencers have for misinformation interventions and platforms' efforts to moderate misinformation.

翻译：我们在大选前后及选举期间，对巴西和美国的31名错误信息制作者和消费者进行了民族志研究，以了解选举和医疗错误信息的消费与生产。本研究通过关注人们对认知不足的小众参与者（即"微影响者"）如何在对等网络中制造错误信息，为错误信息生态系统研究做出了贡献。我们详述了微影响者使用的四种关键策略。首先，他们通常传播难以证伪的误导性"灰色地带"内容，采用微妙的审美和修辞策略规避审核。其次，他们在小型封闭群组中发帖，成员在此环境中感到安全且倾向于信任内容。第三，他们精准针对错误信息消费者的情感和社会需求。最后，他们高频发布简短重复的内容，播下怀疑的种子，并将自己塑造为非官方专家。我们讨论了这些微影响者对错误信息干预措施及平台治理错误信息工作的启示。