Tackling misinformation & ‘infodemic’ in digital media during COVID-19 pandemic

Agam Chaudhary, Managing Director, DigitaLabs, the digital arm of Laqshya Media Group, cautions against the fake news and the overabundance of information, which may or may not be accurate, floating around in digital media.

Throughout the past few weeks, rather months, the world has forgotten what it was like living without the fear and the very mention of Coronavirus. Declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 outbreak remains one of the most searched and talked about topics on digital forums. The Internet is flooded with information to combat the rapid spread of the disease. Both the Government and corporates have stepped up efforts to leverage digital media in a responsive manner.

However, there has been a surge in the content on the web promoting bogus medicines, rumours about vaccine availability, household remedies guaranteeing protection against the virus as well false news about the Government advising people to store the necessities before lockdown is observed. This type of information is not only misleading, but also spreads panic and anxiety at a much faster rate than the infection itself. There are also instances of content provoking discrimination against healthcare workers and subjecting people of Chinese origin to racism.

Digital Media To Navigate Through The Crisis

At a time when people are in isolation, quarantined inside their own houses, they are more reliant than ever on digital media to get news from legitimate sources. The social media platforms are the medium through which families and friends are staying connected while social distancing. At a time when people have been asked to work from home and the economy is witnessing a downturn, digital media is playing a pivotal role in aiding businesses to generate revenue. Companies are now majorly focusing on running digital marketing campaigns to increase sales.

More and more companies/ people are generating advisory content in the form of blogs, videos, infographics, live videos to guide the public through. Creative advertisements are going viral on social media for the kind of thought and creativity around such a grave topic to scale up public engagement. Such kind of creativity is being applauded by people who are seeking reliable information.

On The Downside

Amidst the content outpour, digital media is experiencing a rising wave of the ‘infodemic’ defined by WHO as “an overabundance of information – some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”

Though the Government is reminding citizens to steer clear of such information, as citizens, it is our primary responsibility to analyse the communication that we are consuming. Here are simple tips we can do to curb misinformation:

• Try to ascertain the source of content that you are consuming. Trust only WHO and Government websites
• Be aware of the credible sources of information. Follow only ‘official’ Twitter handles of Government authorities
• Double-check the information with media sources
• Do not blindly forward Whatsapp messages or social media posts without verifying it
• Report fake news in groups, be it Whatsapp or Facebook, to administrators
• Distinguish between ‘earned’ and ‘paid’ media

With the numbers of COVID-19 cases likely to expand, the bond between us and digital media will only grow stronger. Going forward, digital media would be a new normal for businesses. However, keeping in mind the severity of the situation, let us all pledge to only spread useful information that will help the community survive in this pandemic together.