The coronavirus pandemics
outbreak has brought
uncertainty towards the
government and health
authorities. The questionable disease
spread like a quenchless fire and it
takes an amount of time for authorities
to intervene.
The uncertainty has progressively
worsened the panic among the public
and this is where it leads to the problem.
The virtual communication has
become a vigorous way for everyone
to stay connected during isolation and
excessively rely on social media to get
information and news.
As social media become the
main communication platform
during the pandemic, they are also
causing misinformation that suddenly
sproutedall over the valley. While the
authorities are working on kicking out
the virus, the public apparently is more
of an ‘expert’ on the virus.
They come out with their own
misleading information, false rumors,
conspiracy theories and spread it widely
on social media that result in racism,
causing panic buying at supermarkets
and mass purchase of face masks and
hand sanitizer.
The health authorities have a
standard operation in informing the
public in the middle of a pandemic.
They need to deal with the evidence
and medical solution before making a
possible statement.
However, some people take
this chance to influence the public
belief with a false report and create
misinformation. The come up with
their ideology or belief and it to the
public.
There’s been misinformation for
hundreds of years and recently people
have always been dependent on social
media to gain the knowledge and belief
information.
The government and health
authorities beginning to feel the
effects of misinformation and fighting
against it as stated by World Health
Organization (WHO) Director-General
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that
we are not just fighting an epidemic,
we are fighting an infodemic too.
This is a sign of how much the public
has consumed the misinformation lies
on social media. The public is capable
to pick their interest and select with
who and what they want to interact.
People are wired to see what they want
to see and believe what they want to
believe.
A news or report with visual image
has become very effective to misinform
and easily shareable in social media
platform. People are sharing because
the information is probably has been
exaggerated and give the exciting twist
to the information.
People use social media to seek for
directives, but unreliable and unofficial
sources with misinformation had the
largest view and loudest voice and that
is what people are attached to.
The coverage of misinformation
during a pandemic is doing more bad
than good especially to the people
affected by the virus as well as the
people who overcome the isolation. It
is scary and creates panic among the
public during this hard time.
Public confusion leaves citizens
unprepared for fighting a pandemic
crisis and leading to the greater spread.
Hence, it is important for authorities to
be transparent, sending clear and true
information to the public.
There is nothing wrong about
having whatever sentiment we have and
expressing those sentiments or beliefs.
But to misinform the information? That
is something that should be fixed.
BUT WE’RE
NOT JUST
FIGHTING
AN EPIDEMIC,
WE’RE
FIGHTING AN
INFODEMIC.”
DR TEDROS ADHANOM
GHEBREYESUS
SASARAN EDISI 82 39