My thoughts after reading the following:
Chapter 3 – Case, D. (2006). The concept of information. In Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs and behaviour, pp. 40-65. 2nd ed. Burlingham: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. ebook, CSU Library.
For me, I consider information at its most base level to be data that has meaning to the recipient. Information can come from any source such as another person, animals, the environment, digitally, graphically and even inanimate objects and so on. The ‘sender’ of information does not need to be cognitively aware that data is being transmitted; a coffee cup and plate left on the bench is not cognitively aware but has provided meaningful data to the wife that the husband has had afternoon tea and also forgot to clean up after himself. Likewise, people can communicate feelings sub-consciously; I can receive information from a plant to determine if it is unwell or determine what to wear from the information I receive when gazing out the window.
Considering the issue of whether information needs to be truthful to be considered information was more challenging. An article explaining how the latest American election was tampered with, resulting in Donald Trump’s loss will clearly be viewed as truth by some and absolute falsehoods by others. Can that article then be both information and not information at the same time based on the recipient views? I feel that whether it is truthful or not is irrelevant in determining if it is information, however, interpreting the difference between false or true information is important in becoming a critical user of information.