67.2 % of the Fake News are Health-Related that includes medicine, medical and healthcare facilities, viral infection, and doctor-patient issues says a new study.
New Delhi, January 3, 2021: The year 2021 has all set to bid us good-bye leaving behind some bitter memories, but the pandemic has increased the primacy of healthcare significantly. In line with digital transformation in the wake of Covid, healthcare awareness, counselling and consultation have also gone digital. But unfortunately, the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how the spread of misinformation, amplified on social media and other digital platforms, is proving to be as much a threat to global public health as the virus itself. Though technology advancements and social media create opportunities to keep people safe, informed and connected. But at the same time, these tools also enable and amplify the current INFODEMIC that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic.
A study published in reputed journal MDPI by Researchers from Dhaka University on ‘Fake News’, came up with very interesting facts like:
1. The seven themes of fake news are health, religiopolitical, political, crime, entertainment, religious, and miscellaneous. Health-related fake news (67.2%) is on the top of the list that includes medicine, medical and healthcare facilities, viral infection, and doctor-patient issues.
2. Second, the seven types of fake news content are text, photo, audio, video, text and photo, text and video, and text and photo and video. More fake news takes the form of text and video (47.2%).
3. Third, online media produces more fake news (94.4%) than mainstream media (5.6%). More interestingly, four social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, produce most of the fake news.
4. Fourth, relatively more fake news has international connections (54.4%) as the COVID-19 pandemic is a global phenomenon.
5. Fifth, most of the COVID-19-related fake news is negative (63.2%) which could be a real threat to public health.
