Facebook, Google and Twitter are stepping up to block misinformation and promote accurate information about the coronavirus. Their track records on self-policing are poor. The results so far are mixed.
blankAn airline passenger checks his smart phone at Montreal–Trudeau International Airport, Friday, March 20, 2020, as COVID-19 cases rise in Canada and around the world.
(Graham Hughes/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
In an age of social media and the propensity for misinformation to spread like wildfire, organizations and governments should consider social media strategies in pandemic response planning.
Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology; Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology; Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology, and Tobias R. Keller, Queensland University of Technology
The social media spread of news, information and myths about coronavirus can help keep the public informed but can also stoke panic.
Humour is sometimes used as a coping mechanism in tragic situations.
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Michael Wade, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)
While COVID-19 is a real concern for businesses and governments, a more serious issue right now is the wider impact of heavily recycled information on society.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron launched the Christchurch Call initiative in Paris in May 2019.
EPA/Yoan Valat
The US, Russia and China haven’t backed the NZ-led Christchurch Call to crackdown on online extremism. Without them, and key non-western media, the initiative is unlikely to make enough difference.
In the Southeast US, tornadoes strike at night more often than in other regions. This poses special challenges for getting early warnings to the public.
By providing users with pertinent and reliable disaster-related information, Twitter has the potential to reduce the impact of a disaster. So why aren’t public organizations using it properly?
The vast majority of Americans are sick and tired of being so divided.
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As the 2020 elections near and disinformation campaigns ramp up, an expert on media literacy offers advice you can use to develop habits to exert more conscious control over your news intake.