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 "gray area" content rather than expert-falsified 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：我们对巴西和美国31名虚假信息创作者和消费者在重大选举前后及期间进行了民族志研究，以理解选举和医疗虚假信息的消费与生产。本研究通过聚焦于鲜为人知的小型参与者，即“微影响者”——他们在点对点网络中制造虚假信息——为虚假信息生态系统研究做出了贡献。我们详细阐述了微影响者使用的四种关键策略。首先，他们通常传播“灰色地带”内容而非专家证伪的论断，利用微妙的审美和修辞技巧规避审核。其次，他们在小型封闭群组中发帖，这些群组成员感到安全且倾向于信任内容。第三，他们明确针对虚假信息消费者的情感和社会需求。最后，他们发布大量简短重复的内容，以播下怀疑的种子，并建立影响者作为非官方专家的信任感。我们讨论了这些微影响者对虚假信息干预措施及平台审核虚假信息工作的启示。