April 24, 2020

How to Cure Viral Misinformation

28 minutes

The World Health Organisation calls it an “infodemic” – a flood of information about the coronavirus pandemic. Amid the good advice and the measured uncertainty, there’s a ton of false claims, conspiracy theories and health tips which are just plain wrong.

We’ve been working to fight the tide of bad info, and in this programme BBC Trending reporters Marianna Spring and Mike Wendling trace the story of one specific viral post.

It's a list of supposed facts about the virus and what you can do to protect yourself. Some of the tips are true, some are false but relatively harmless, and some are potentially dangerous. Who’s behind the post – and how did it spread?

Here’s our list of seven key tips on how to stop viral misinformation:

1. Stop and think

2. Check your source

3. Ask yourself, could it be a fake?

4. If you’re unsure whether it’s true … don’t share.

5. Check each fact, individually.

6. Beware emotional posts.

7. Think about biases

Presenters: Marianna Spring and Mike Wendling

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By BBC Radio 4

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