Prioritising Facts Over Fear in the Age of Coronavirus

Media manipulation is not a new phenomenon, but the means and speed by which fake news reaches the general public is drastically changing thanks to the instantaneous nature of social media.

With social media algorithms and our own patterns of content consumption favouring sensationalist content, it’s easy to prey on the public’s desperation for information surrounding the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

False information such as manipulated statistics and fake government actions are being shared rapidly across the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Despite these social sites as well as Google implementing efforts to slow the spread of this misinformation, misleading and fake news posts are still gaining credibility thanks to a phenomenon known as information cascades.

Going Viral

“Information cascades” occur when a piece of information gains credibility by being shared from person to person, regardless of whether or not the information has any merit on its own. Credibility increases as this information is passed along, until it no longer matters what or who the source of this information is.

The breakneck pace of social media and its capacity to make information go “viral” makes it a perfect breeding ground for these information cascades, circumventing the traditional gatekeeping methods of news dissemination.

There’s currently a vast amount of false and misleading information being shared online, on everything from fake information on how the virus originated to false “cures” to malware scams and inaccurate news on government intervention the world over.

China

One of the earliest incidences of Coronavirus fake news spread rapidly as China was experiencing its worst rates of infection.

G News ran a false story claiming that the virus had been created in a lab by the Chinese government, which was quickly debunked by PolitiFact. The owner of G News, is exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, who has been an outspoken critic of the Chinese government.

The United States

In the United States, there has been a plethora of misleading information circulation online. A number of companies have tried to take advantage of the situation, by labelling a whole host of products as “immunity boosting,” and in worse cases, accounts have been sharing fake “cures” such as rubbing mustard on your body or drinking bleach.

Aside from the obvious ramifications from drinking bleach, these posts are particularly dangerous as they pose a serious health risk, leaving the public confused or even unaware of what the most effective ways of preventing the virus from spreading actually are.

Fake news has even led to an unfortunate amount of racism as well, particularly as US President Trump has begun referring to Covid-19 as the “Chinese” virus. Misinformation about the virus’s origin, such as the the fake G News article, combined with tone-deaf remarks like these instantly translate into clickbait headlines, which, once shared, have been reported to incite a number of racist outbursts, hate crimes, and attacks.

London

In London, word quickly spread that there was to be a military enforced lockdown, corroborated by photos of what appeared to be military vehicles on the streets of London.

However, this was not the case. It was simply a fabricated story using a misleading photo of a convoy which neglected to include the fact that the photo was taken near a military base.

This rumour spread like wildfire across Whatsapp, which is referred to as “dark social” due to the fact that the messaging service is encrypted. There is no way of telling just how many people received this false information, though the images and information were also shared rapidly across Facebook and Instagram as well.

Italy

Not all of these incidences of fake news have been nefarious, though.

By now you’re probably familiar with the videos circulating of isolated residents of Northern Italy singing together from their balconies and rooftops.

While the video is a great example of communities coming together during these challenging times, it has also been subject to manipulation. Numerous individuals have created deepfake versions of the video, dubbed over to make it appear as if they were singing songs from a number of pop stars in an attempt to gain followers and attention from celebrities.

Let Us All RISE UP. everywhere around the world!! 🌎 🌍 #irise pic.twitter.com/NJv93kWnWs

— Madonna (@Madonna) March 15, 2020

Many of these were successful, with Madonna, Katy Perry, and many others believing and retweeting these faked videos, and in turn, increasing their visibility.

Looking Beyond the Headlines

In times like these, it’s crucial that we’re being guided by facts rather than fear. We need to go beyond skimming headlines which have been carefully crafted for optimum “shareability,” which only further induces panic.

Instead, we must look beyond the headlines and ensure the information we’re receiving is from a credible source, such as The World Health Organization (WHO), the government, or an accredited news outlet before reacting and sharing.

Now more than ever, it is absolutely vital that we all take the time to educate ourselves and prevent the spread of misleading and potentially life-threatening information. The more informed we are, the greater the chance we have on slowing the virus, as well as slowing the effects of fake news.

Credit: Amanda Christensen

If you liked this article, check out our interview with Amanda Christensen on fake news, deepfakes, and the post-truth era of hyper-reality!

Follow ideaXme on Twitter: @ideaxm

On Instagram: @ideaxme

On YouTube: ideaxme

Find ideaXme across the internet including on iTunes, SoundCloud, Radio Public, TuneIn Radio, I Heart Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.

ideaXme is a global podcast, creator series and mentor programme. Our mission: Move the human story forward!™ ideaXme Ltd.