The Cornell Alliance for Science states that as the COVID-19 crisis worsens, the world also faces a global misinformation pandemic.
Beware misinformation, conspiracy theories, and scams related to COVID-19.
Harvard School of Public Health notes that the amount and nature of information available to the public is changing and evolving constantly which has only served to make effective communication harder.
Because there is no real cure and no vaccine yet, people are frustrated. When people lose their sense of agency, they try to fill knowledge gaps with speculation that’s not based in full factual analysis and results in misinformation.
Stephen Lewandowsky and John Cook write in The Conspiracy Theory Handbook that, “Real conspiracies get discovered through conventional thinking—healthy skepticism of official accounts while carefully considering available evidence and being committed to internal consistency. In contrast, conspiratorial thinking is characterized by being hyperskeptical of all information that does not fit the theory, over-interpreting evidence that supports a preferred theory, and inconsistency. Check the links below for sites that debunk current conspiracy theories about COVID-19.
Finally, the Federal Trade Commission says coronavirus-related scams have cost Americans $13.4 million so far this year. Hang up on robocalls, delete e-mails claiming to be from the CDC, ignore online offers for COVID-19 test kits, and be wary of solicitations for donations.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/public-health-communication-strategies-covid-19/
https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf
https://www.dailynews.com/2020/04/28/california-doctors-with-dubious-covid-conclusions-debunked/
https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice
Recorded at home with Eli Hildebrand Clubbs engineering; edited at KRCU Studios by Dan Woods
