Fake news leading to a new coronavirus, we are not only facing a pandemic, but we are also facing an 'infodemic.'

Jena Catalano 

jc854716@ohio.edu   

 

 

As a global pandemic sweeps across the world, citizens are looking to their news outlets, social media platforms, and friends for all sorts of information. Individuals are concerned about their health, and they need information they can trust. Communities are looking for prevention methods to the virus and are ending up in more danger. During a pandemic, somehow, the social media is still giving their viewers misinformation.

According to the website Deutsche Welle, the misinformation about the coronavirus and coronavirus prevention has led to the deaths of at least eight hundred people and possibly more. A team of international scientists looked at data compiled between December 2019 and April 2020 as part of the study, and their research showed that those 800 people died from drinking alcohol to disinfect their body, while 5,900 citizens went to the hospital after consuming methanol, all informed through fake news. 

Social media has played an enormously flawed and damaging role regarding our current pandemic. Having endless amounts of information right at our fingertips should be an excellent resource, we are lucky enough to have while suffering a global epidemic. However, these news sources are spreading whatever information benefits them. The detrimental effects of fake news have far-reaching consequences for society in general and the corporate world, placing great demands on public relations specialists to dispel the falsehoods attacking their brands with well-developed responses. 

 

Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia explains how eliminating fake news can save the public. He said, "you can think about misinformation in the same way you think about the actual virus itself. Even being able to reduce some of the info by 30 might be enough to reduce the impact and hopefully save lives." The public is desperately looking for places to turn, and citizens are looking for vital information. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is the Director-General of the World Health Organization, continues to explain that we, as citizens, are not just fighting an epidemic, we are also fighting an infodemic. He continues to explain that fake news spreads faster and more efficiently than the virus, and it is just as dangerous.

Luckily, we have more people now questioning online new sources, and we can see they are choosing more reputable sources when looking for information. Even though fake news might be inevitable at the moment, we can see 'fake news' becoming more prevalent, and viewers are learning what new sources are genuinely trustworthy. As a community, individuals need to remember to be cautious of the information they're told and they share.