LETTER | Tackling the fake news pandemic
LETTER | Covid-19 has left a devastating impact on our lives, the economy and our psychosocial wellbeing.
The growing number of deaths is causing extreme fear and anxiety but above this, there’s a worrying trend that’s causing us all a great deal of mental stress – the spread of fake news and information on Covid-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) categorises this as a dangerous "infodemic". Infodemics are defined as excessive information about an issue, which makes it difficult to find a solution. They are spread through misinformation, disinformation and rumours during a health emergency and can hamper public health responses by creating confusion and distrust.
The problem is not unique to Malaysia. It’s a global issue but sadly, many failed to realise the trail of negative impacts left by that little fake WhatsApp message or social media post that we decided to share.
People generally fall for well-crafted messages that supposedly carry statements from credible government or news agencies, and we would share them within seconds after reading a clickbait headline or paragraph.
We need to be extra cautious when it comes to content sharing, especially in times of crisis...
LETTER | Covid-19 has left a devastating impact on our lives, the economy and our psychosocial wellbeing.
The growing number of deaths is causing extreme fear and anxiety but above this, there’s a worrying trend that’s causing us all a great deal of mental stress – the spread of fake news and information on Covid-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) categorises this as a dangerous "infodemic". Infodemics are defined as excessive information about an issue, which makes it difficult to find a solution. They are spread through misinformation, disinformation and rumours during a health emergency and can hamper public health responses by creating confusion and distrust.
The problem is not unique to Malaysia. It’s a global issue but sadly, many failed to realise the trail of negative impacts left by that little fake WhatsApp message or social media post that we decided to share.
People generally fall for well-crafted messages that supposedly carry statements from credible government or news agencies, and we would share them within seconds after reading a clickbait headline or paragraph.
We need to be extra cautious when it comes to content sharing, especially in times of crisis. If there are variations to the news which some may find shocking or annoying, the recipients must cross-check all information because fake news is generally sensationalised to attract attention.
Misinformation and disinformation during a crisis like Covid-19 are meant to confuse, manipulate and divide society. This affects many people and creates false perceptions of individuals and organisations.
As a caring society, we can break this chain by pausing the sharing and confirming the information received by cross-checking it with credible sources. If the information did not come from a trusted source and has variations or confusing statements, report it to the authorities and advise the sender to stop sharing without verifying.
Other steps that can be taken include checking the logo properly if it looks like an official statement and doing a little background check on individuals or social media accounts responsible for the particular piece of information, especially if the content seemed prejudiced or discriminatory.
Ensure that all information regarding Covid-19 comes from trustworthy sites like the Health Ministry and National Security Council websites or perhaps, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s Facebook page as these are the major sources of information on Covid-19.
Stop spreading messages that start or end with "from a named contact who works at a particular hospital or police station, et cetera" because such messages make things difficult for frontline or public health workers and media practitioners and confuse the general public who are not media-savvy.
Self-censorship and media-savviness are important for today’s digital generation as it will help in identifying the tone, hidden messages or sentiments.
This applies to all types of contents, including audio and video clips, blog posts, social media posts, articles, news or WhatsApp messages. Be wary of forwarded messages that urge you to share with family and friends because that’s how things go viral.
Before sharing, ask yourself if the content is true, necessary and benefits society. If there are no clear benefits in sharing, just ignore it. This should be a natural lifestyle choice even without a pandemic insight as modern-day communication and relationships are heavily influenced by media, and we have a shared responsibility to keep our communication mediums safe.
MOHAMMAD FIRDAUS LOW ABDULLAH is sean and senior lecturer of the Faculty of Communications and Creative Design, SEGi University.
The views expressed here are those of the authors/contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.