Communication and Information: Response to COVID-19
Information Sharing & Countering Disinformation
Freedom of expression, access to information - notably on public health -, and quality news coverage are essential to face the unprecedented crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
More than ever, the world needs professional journalism and reliable information to adapt its response to the spread of COVID-19, organize itself, learn from other countries鈥 experiences and counter the increase of rumors and disinformation.
In particular, UNESCO promotes Open Education Resources (OERs), , media and information literacy (MIL) resources to counter the spread of disinformation, the use of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence in response to the crisis, as well as highlighting the importance of documentary heritage in past efforts to fight pandemics.
News
Combating the disinfodemic: Working for truth in the time of COVID-19
COVID-19 has led to a parallel pandemic of disinformation that directly impacts lives and livelihoods around the world. Falsehoods and misinformation have proven deadly and sowed confusion about life-saving personal and policy choices.
To , 91麻豆国产精品自拍 published two policy briefs offering critical insights into the fast-growing COVID-19-related disinformation that is impeding access to trustworthy sources and reliable information.
The impacts of COVID-19 disinformation are more deadly than disinformation about other subjects, such as politics and democracy. That is why this research, in line with UNESCO鈥檚 role as a laboratory of ideas, coins the term disinfodemic to describe the problem.
Combatiendo la desinfodemia: trabajando por la verdad en la 茅poca del COVID-19
La pandemia del COVID-19 ha dado lugar tambi茅n a una pandemia de desinformaci贸n que afecta directamente las vidas y los medios de subsistencia de millones de personas en todo el mundo. Las falsedades y la informaci贸n err贸nea han demostrado ser mortales y su capacidad para sembrar la confusi贸n sobre las opciones personales y pol铆ticas que ayuden a salvar vidas, ha sido evidente.
La UNESCO , a trav茅s de dos Policy Briefs que ofrecen informaci贸n cr铆tica sobre la desinformaci贸n relacionada con el COVID-19, cuyo r谩pido crecimiento impide el acceso a fuentes e informaci贸n confiables.
Los impactos de la desinformaci贸n acerca del COVID-19 pueden ser m谩s mortales que la desinformaci贸n sobre otros temas, como la pol铆tica y la democracia. Es por eso que esta investigaci贸n, en l铆nea con el papel de la UNESCO como laboratorio de ideas, acu帽a el t茅rmino 鈥渄esinfodemia鈥 para describir el problema.
Two policy briefs that:
- Analyse the types of viral disinformation helping to drive the pandemic;
- Investigate how individuals, the news media, internet communications companies, and governments are responding to contamination of the information ecosystem;
- Offer rich food for thought about actions undertaken to combat the disinfodemic ;
- Assess the potential risks associated with restrictive measures;
- And provide recommendations on how responses to the crisis can be improved to align to international human rights standards on access to information, freedom of expression and privacy.
UNESCO's Sector for Communication and Information publishes this research as part of its ongoing work to promote freedom of expression and universal access to information.
This policy brief was supported by the , which is assisting journalists working on the frontlines of the disinfodemic around the world, to ensure accurate, trustworthy and verifiable public health information reaches communities everywhere.
Policy Briefs
To make sense of the COVID-19 disinfodemic, consider its opposite 鈥 information. If information is empowering, then disinformation is disempowering. Access to verifiable, reliable information makes the right to freedom of expression meaningful. A disinfodemic works diametrically against this right during a pandemic. UNESCO Policy Brief 1 assesses 9 types of coronavirus disinformation, four format modes, and it identifies 10 categories of response being mobilised - often with freedom of expression implications - around the world.
Policy Brief 2 critically analyses 10 types of response to the viral spread of COVID-19 disinformation. Responses target one or more of the four points of the disinformation life cycle: namely production, transmission, reception and reproduction. This brief assesses the responses that: work to cut the supply of production; that filter disinformation during transmission; and help inoculate targets from reception; and prevent viral re-circulation. The assessment looks at these responses holistically and in relation to impact on the right to freedom of expression, access to information and privacy.
