False stories surrounding COVID-19 have been picked up by media outlets, celebrities and politicians, amplifying them to wider audiences:

• Newspapers have picked up on the idea that George Soros and Bill Gates are responsible for creating COVID-19.
• A false letter by Bill Gates calling the virus as “the great corrector … sent to remind us of the important lessons that we seem to have forgotten” was shared by celebrities and some newspapers.
• A two-and-a-half-hour livestream, linking COVID-19 to 5G was watched by 65.000 on Youtube.
• WhatsApp attempted to stop the spread of misinformation and fake news on its platform by limiting the message forward function to only one single chat at a time.

Case Study

→ Elon Musk amplified misinformation surrounding the use of chloroquine as treatment for COVID-19, through his Twitter account followed by 33 million people.

→ The use of chloroquine as treatment was picked up and amplified by mainstream media sites such as Fox News.

→ It was then further amplified through tweets by President Trump, to his 76.9 million followers.

 

→ The spread of misinformation about chloroquine by prominent news sources and politicians finally led to a man’s death.

Preventing Amplification

So, what can you do to prevent amplification of false COVID-19 related stories?

1. Don’t use hyperboles or clickbait, especially in headlines. Avoid sensationalism and scaremongering. People are already afraid and anxious.
2. Verify online stories and sources before publishing. Don’t consciously disseminate false content, rumours or speculation.
3. Avoid racial profiling or adding blame to groups of people. We are in this together.
4. Don’t use personal information. Protect the privacy of people who are affected by COVID-19.
5. Focus on ethical, quality journalism. Be accurate, specific and factual.
6. Use credible sources and resources, including medical experts, scientists and virologists.
7. Be cautious with the images you use. Don’t use stereotypical images (for example, of Chinese people with face masks) or sensationalistic images.
8. Educate your audience on the ‘infodemic’ and media literacy. Give them the tools and skills to identify misinformation themselves.