An article from the University of Melbourne’s research and news site called Pursuit goes over the COVID-19 pandemic and common fake news that was associated with the virus. Things like the virus being started by the U.S government, started by the Chinese government, 5G being the cause of COVID-19 and fake news surrounding home remedies for preventing the virus or the getting rid of symptoms.

They go over two types of false information, disinformation and misinformation. They categorize disinformation as having a bad intention, and misinformation as having a good intention, while both still being untrue information. The main purpose of this discussion in the article was to outline intentions within spreading false information, connecting to the main arguments of the article in that fake news spreads through different intentions.

The article goes on to talk about how during COVID-19, we were more susceptible to fake news, “Modern psychological research concurs: under uncertainty, people seek safety, security and order- to compensate for lack of control” (Nyilasy, 2020). Nyilasy states the spread of fake news during the pandemic was caused by this fear and uncertainty, people grasping at anything to feel like they know more, have more control or feel less threatened by the possibility of getting COVID-19. Debates like face mask wearing and its effectiveness against COVID-19 was used as a prime example to understand this fake news spread and why we were so eager to accept news without a second thought.

A very big thing that Nyilasy pointed out was that “fake news loves information voids like this [in reference to the face mask conversation]- and fills them with balderdash” (Nyilasy, 2020). Overall, when it comes to fake news during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nyilasy argues that fake news wasn’t necessarily spread through good or bad intentions, it was spread through fear, uncertainty, the need to know and have control and through the gaps in information known at the time about the virus. The article points out that the lack of known information, the constant changing information given by health and government professionals (and the varying information given by different governments and institutions) and the uncertainty that individuals felt about what to do, what is going on, and how can they protect themselves, are all big contributors to the outbreak of fake news during this time.

Moving on from this, the author talks about tactics to help reduce fake news and reduce your susceptibility to fake news. Cutting out the supply of fake news (so raising the engagement with creditable news places like government officials to drown out fake news), blocking people’s access to fake news (or platforms creating fact-checking programs to inform of a potential for fake news), and practicing vigilance and mindfulness of the news we consume (so fact checking, not consuming media without a second thought). Nyilasy gives two big questions to ask yourself when consuming news media online to help practice vigilance and mindfulness, “1. Am I mindlessly accepting incoming content without adequate scrutiny of source, facts and format? 2. Am I believing this because cold facts warrant it or because it feels good to believe it?”. Even without the pandemic fake news spread, these questions still provide a starting point to consuming content without falling for newer fake news. [BC- Reference below].

Resistance to Fake News (Nico)

In an age of greater swaths of fake news than ever before – and a surprising number of platforms from which to do so – it comes as no surprise that there are a number of different ‘expert’ ways to fight against fake news and ensure one does not spread it. In fact, ordinary people spreading fake news that they believe to be true is one of the fastest ways it travels, as the lies and fiction get amplified every time they are spoken.

According to a policy brief and report by the Open Society Institute in Sofia conducted just last year, “fake news concerns were higher among people with higher education levels” relative to countries with lower educational standards (Fitzgerald, 2023). What can therefore be understood as the best resistance to fake news, then? Simply put – education. As a population becomes well educated and more intelligent, they grow increasingly aware of what fake news is and how to detect it.

The spreading of fake news is inevitable, especially in a digital age when artificial intelligence is so commonplace. That’s not to say, however, that the fight against fake news is lost from the onset. Instead, educating a population about fake news will slow the spread and allow digital platforms and media (social media, online news outlets) to rule out the presented information as fake news. Indeed, besides education, news media taking accountability and clarifying which stories are true and which are fake news is one of the best ways to resist fake news.

Aside from education and corporate accountability, the onus is on the individual to verify whether or not information is true or false. Take time to ask yourself: does this information seem realistic/feasible? What source is this information coming from? How reputable is said source? Answering these questions will provide greater clarity and understanding of the source, and it will also give the reader a longer period of time to really digest and question the information. Thus critical thinking of the consumer is yet another resistance to fake news.

References

Fitzgerald, M. (2023). Finland most resistant to ‘fake news,’ report finds | best … U.S.News. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-01-27/finland-most-resistant-to-fake-news-report-finds