A disinformation campaign like this would pit citizens against one another

You could message a few local journalists asking whether these rumors are true and express your concerns.By the time an article comes out debunking the rumors,people’s experiences of the truth will have become so warped that convincing them otherwise
will be difficult.A disinformation campaign like this would pit citizens against one another and exploit their values and fears.
You can't personally protect each individual from disinformation,
but you can equip them with the insights you have—and encourage them to pass these tools further along.After all, community organizing is what elections often call for.