Punitive laws are failing to curb misinformation in Africa. Time for a rethink: Many laws passed in recent times are not aimed at correcting false information, but punishing its publication. EFE-EPA/Harish Tyagi Misinformation, best understood as false or misleading information whether or not it was intended to mislead, has long been recognised as a problem …
Spotting hoaxes: how young people in Africa use cues to spot misinformation online: Different African countries must come up with home grown solutions to curb misinformation or disinformation. Shutterstock Inaccurate information on social media has become a problem in many countries around the world. Researchers know a fair deal about “fake news” in the global …
Fake news: people with greater emotional intelligence are better at spotting misinformation: Fake news. Shutterstock/Inked Pixels The spread of misinformation – in the form of unsubstantiated rumour and intentionally deceitful propaganda – is nothing new. Even in antiquity, Antony and Cleopatra were were cast as villains through fake news shared by Octavian. However, the global …
Battling misinformation wars in Africa: applying lessons from GMOs to COVID-19: People are faced with a lot of misinformation about both GMOs and COVID. Evan Clayburg As the second wave of COVID-19 sweeps across Africa, bringing steep increases in infections and deaths, the battle between facts and conspiracies – especially around the safety of COVID …
South Africa in the news: ‘Truth offensive’ needed to counter Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, says messaging expert: From paintings by artists like Xolani Sivunda to communication campaigns launched by provincial health departments, the fight against Covid-19-related misinformation is being fought on many fronts.: “South Africa” – BingNews Is a wealth tax in South Africa really a …
COVID-19 misinformation: scientists create a ‘psychological vaccine’ to protect against fake news: Alexander Limbach/Shutterstock Anti-vaccination groups are projected to dominate social media in the next decade if left unchallenged. To counter their viral misinformation at a time when COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out, our research team has produced a “psychological vaccine” that helps people …
South Africa in the news: Goldenrod honey: misinformation is causing a biological invasion of this Canadian weed: Refusal of vaccines, climate change denial, the spread of coronavirus, dangerous drug use – all can be linked to the rapid spread of misinformation over the internet.: “South Africa” – BingNews Adventurous Sri Lanka 340-6 in 1st test …
Goldenrod honey: misinformation is causing a biological invasion of this Canadian weed: Jeffrey Hamilton/Unsplash, FAL Refusal of vaccines, climate change denial, the spread of coronavirus, dangerous drug use – all can be linked to the rapid spread of misinformation over the internet. Our recently published study now adds a biological invasion to the list: Canadian …
Misinformation on social media fuels vaccine hesitancy: a global study shows the link: A substantial proportion of people may refuse or delay taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Shutterstock Vaccine hesitancy is a severe threat to global health, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The term refers to the delay in acceptance or the refusal of …
Misinformation about illicit drugs is spreading on social media – and the consequences could be dangerous: For man, social media is the only place they get their news. GaudiLab/ Shutterstock We’re all familiar with the term “fake news” and have probably witnessed the speed at which these stories can circulate on social media. Fake news …
Misinformation: tech companies are removing ‘harmful’ coronavirus content – but who decides what that means?: Pearl PhotoPix/Shutterstock The “infodemic” of misinformation about coronavirus has made it difficult to distinguish accurate information from false and misleading advice. The major technology companies have responded to this challenge by taking the unprecedented move of working together to combat …
Coronavirus: misinformation is leading to ‘fake news’ anxieties in Dutch refugee communities: Shutterstock/RohaneHamilton The coronavirus pandemic has led to a crisis among asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands. According to our research, the start of the pandemic saw an information vacuum within this community, leading to a general atmosphere of confusion and anxiety and …
You’re probably more susceptible to misinformation than you think: One photo/Shutterstock Online misinformation works, or so it would seem. One of the more interesting statistics from the 2019 UK general election was that 88% of advertisements posted on social media by the Conservative Party pushed figures that had already been deemed misleading by the UK’s …
Dictionary.com chooses ‘misinformation’ as word of the year: Misinformation, as opposed to disinformation, was chosen Monday as Dictionary.com's word of the year on the tattered coattails of “toxic,” picked earlier this month for the same honor by Oxford Dictionaries in these tumultuous times. Jane Solomon, a linguist-in-residence at Dictionary, said in a recent interview that …