Spreading (dis)trust in Fiji? Exploring COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook forums

IF 1 Q3 COMMUNICATION
Romitesh Kant, Rufino Varea
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引用次数: 4

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges for the health system across the globe and fueled the surge of numerous rumours, hoaxes, and misinformation regarding outcomes, prevention and cure of the virus.  The COVID-19 pandemic has also had severe political, economic and societal effects and affected media and communication systems in unprecedented ways. While traditional journalism has tried to adapt to the rapidly evolving situation, alternative news media on the internet have given the events an ideological spin. These voices have been criticised for furthering societal confusion and spreading potentially dangerous ‘fake news’ or conspiracy theories via social media and other online channels. The impact of the disease and the lack of information associated with it have allowed medical misinformation to rapidly surface and propagate on various social media platforms. Previous studies have highlighted a similar trend during recent public health emergencies, mainly the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. Such a phenomenon is alarming on both individual and public health levels to the extent that governments are realising the gravity and attempting to limit its effects. This article offers a unique perspective because it provides data-driven qualitative insights into Fijian Facebook posts related to infectious disease outbreaks. This study aims to understand public views and opinions on Fijian social media during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and to outline potential implications for health information.
在斐济散播信任?探索Facebook论坛上的COVID-19错误信息
COVID-19大流行给全球卫生系统带来了重大挑战,并助长了有关该病毒的结果、预防和治疗的大量谣言、骗局和错误信息的激增。COVID-19大流行还产生了严重的政治、经济和社会影响,并以前所未有的方式影响了媒体和通信系统。虽然传统新闻业试图适应迅速变化的形势,但互联网上的另类新闻媒体给这些事件带来了意识形态上的影响。这些声音被批评为加剧社会混乱,并通过社交媒体和其他在线渠道传播潜在危险的“假新闻”或阴谋论。这种疾病的影响以及缺乏与之相关的信息,使得医疗错误信息迅速浮出水面,并在各种社交媒体平台上传播。此前的研究强调,在最近的突发公共卫生事件中,主要是埃博拉和寨卡病毒的爆发,也出现了类似的趋势。这种现象在个人和公共健康层面都令人担忧,各国政府正在意识到其严重性并试图限制其影响。这篇文章提供了一个独特的视角,因为它对斐济Facebook上与传染病爆发有关的帖子提供了数据驱动的定性见解。本研究旨在了解公众在2020年大流行高峰期对斐济社交媒体的看法和意见,并概述对卫生信息的潜在影响。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Pacific Journalism Review
Pacific Journalism Review COMMUNICATION-
CiteScore
1.80
自引率
0.00%
发文量
28
审稿时长
24 weeks
期刊介绍: While one objective of Pacific Journalism Review is research into Pacific journalism theory and practice, the journal has also expanding its interest into new areas of research and inquiry that reflect the broader impact of contemporary media practice and education. A particular focus is on the cultural politics of the media, including the following issues: new media and social movements, indigenous cultures in the age of globalisation, the politics of tourism and development, the role of the media and the formation of national identity and the cultural influence of New Zealand as a branch of the global economy within the Pacific region. It also has a special interest in climate change, environmental and development studies in the media and communication and vernacular media in the region.
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