"Despite major advances in vaccination over the past century, resurgence of vaccine-preventable illnesses has led the World Health Organization to identify vaccine hesitancy as a major threat to global health. Vaccine hesitancy may be fueled by health information obtained from a variety of sources,
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including new media such as the Internet and social media platforms. As access to technology has improved, social media has attained global penetrance. In contrast to traditional media, social media allow individuals to rapidly create and share content globally without editorial oversight. Users may self-select content streams, contributing to ideological isolation. As such, there are considerable public health concerns raised by anti-vaccination messaging on such platforms and the consequent potential for downstream vaccine hesitancy, including the compromise of public confidence in future vaccine development for novel pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 for the prevention of COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the current position of social media platforms in propagating vaccine hesitancy and explore next steps in how social media may be used to improve health literacy and foster public trust in vaccination." (Abstract)
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"According to the respondents (522 respondents), people pay most attention to "prevention methods from COVID-19" (3.82 out of the full score 5). On the contrary, the respondents pay relatively less attention to "Pandemic Statistics (local, national, and international)" (3.55 out of the full score 5)
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. In the survey which had 522 respondents, many of the respondents (counts: n=139) who requested further information wanted to know more about the possible cure and treatment of COVID-19. This trend also justifies the ongoing global search for a possible cure for the virus, especially the consideration for the local cure in some African countries. “Social Media platform” is the most used platform to gather information about COVID-19, followed by Television, Websites, Radio, Printed Media, Consultation with Medical staff and Communication through Non-medical sources being the least used source of information. According to the respondents, the information from Multilateral Organizations (e.g. World Health Organization, United Nations, ICRC, etc.) is most trusted by the respondents (scored 3.66 out of 5) and followed by medical staff (scored 3.36 out of 5) and international news houses (scored 3.27 out of 5). Most suspicious information is circulating on the topics of treatment and prevention, and the majority of them have encountered much of the information on local and traditional treatment." (Pages 4-5)
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"Russia has operationalized the concept of perpetual adversarial competition in the information environment by encouraging the development of a disinformation and propaganda ecosystem that allows for varied and overlapping approaches that reinforce each other even when individual messages within the
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system appear contradictory. This ecosystem reflects both the sources of disinformation and propaganda—official government statements, state-funded media outlets, proxy websites, bots, false social media personas, cyber-enabled disinformation operations, etc.—and the different tactics that these channels use. Russia’s willingness to employ this approach provides it with three perceived advantages. First, it allows for the introduction of numerous variations of the same false narratives. This allows for the different pillars of the ecosystem to fine tune their disinformation narratives to suit different target audiences because there is no need for consistency, as there would be with attributed government communications. Second, it provides plausible deniability for Kremlin officials when proxy sites peddle blatant and dangerous disinformation, allowing them to deflect criticism while still introducing pernicious information. Third, it creates a media multiplier effect among the different pillars of the ecosystem that boost their reach and resonance. The media multiplier effect can, at times, create disinformation storms with potentially dangerous effects for those Russia perceives as adversaries at the international, national, and local level. In the past, Russia has leveraged this dynamic to shield itself from criticism for its involvement in malign activity. This approach also allows Russia to be opportunistic, such as with COVID-19, where it has used the global pandemic as a hook to push longstanding disinformation and propaganda narratives [...] This report provides a visual representation of the ecosystem described above, as well as an example of the media multiplier effect it enables. This serves to demonstrate how the different pillars of the ecosystem play distinct roles and feed off of and bolster each other. The report also includes brief profiles of select proxy sites and organizations that occupy an intermediate role between the pillars of the ecosystem with clear links to Russia and those that are meant to be fully deniable." (Pages 5-7)
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"The Internews approach to addressing COVID-19 is deeply rooted in our new strategy, which calls for building the five elements of a healthy information environment. These are: 1. Good, accurate, evidence-based information; 2. That everyone can access safely; 3. That consumers know how to critically
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assess; 4. That is valued by communities and sustained by business models that work; and 5. Where governments and businesses are accountable for keeping it that way." (Page 3)
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"This article is a review of the online news reports about the ‘humanitarian crisis’ that surfaced in India as thousands of migrant workers struggled to return home during the nationwide lockdown triggered by COVID-19. With several newspaper editions unable to print and circulate amid lockdown,
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the online news portals and mobile news apps served as significant news dissemination platforms to the people. The article also attempts to understand how the online news portals reported the environmental issues in relation to the countrywide lockdown. On the one hand, the news stories traced the origin of COVID-19 with coronavirus transmitting to humans via other species like bats and pangolins; on the other, many reports drew people’s attention to the improvement in air quality with declining pollution levels due to the shutdown. Besides, a number of news reports surfaced that warned about the water crisis looming large in many water-stressed regions of India with the onset of summer as more water would be required for sanitization to keep the deadly virus at bay." (Abstract)
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"Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) launched the Digital Emergency Relief Programme through its Community Information Resource Centers (CIRC) across 600+ locations in India who have been rigorously responding to the crisis by reaching out to the most vulnerable communities. The CIRC centres with t
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he help of the 5,000+ digital foot soldiers, after mapping the needs of the communities in rural regions, identified that the immediate need was for information dissemination and creating awareness. Awareness regarding the information on coronavirus, its symptoms, preventive measures needed and countering fake news and misinformation was done using various means like WhatsApp groups, leaflets and word-of-mouth. Further, awareness around the relief package announced by the government- Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Yojanawas raised through Digital Mobile Van, public address system and WhatsApp groups. This proved to be one of the most effective ways of disseminating information and ensuring social distancing. Simultaneously, DEF’s digital foot soldiers created a relief kit which included dry ration to help families sustain for at least a month, masks and DEF Covid-19 information guide. These were done by local fund raising and administration support. Several surveys and publications were also published along with visual documentation of the issues faced, several initiatives carried out and expert opinions on the same. The report seeks to document the numerous kinds of initiatives that were undertaken by DEF." (Introduction)
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"Generally, the relevant authorities in Nigeria have, to a large extent, been proactive with press briefings and national addresses since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, reporters have realised that they are often unable to access information beyond what is said in the briefings. Officials so
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metimes delay in responding to, or are totally unresponsive to information requests. This situation affects the media’s ability to do critical and fact-checked reporting to provide information beyond what is presented at the press briefings. Other issues that affect the media’s access to information on COVID-19 included the lockdown restrictions announced to contain the spread of the virus; self-censorship by some journalists; the lack of appropriate PPEs for coverage of isolation centres or infected areas; and press violations. The economic impact of the pandemic on media houses threatens the future of the industry, which has been and will be crucial to continuing to educate and inform the public on this pandemic and hold authorities accountable over their role in halting the spread and other issues. Below is a summary of the key challenges the media in Nigeria have faced in reporting the COVID-19 pandemic: 1) Delayed information or lack of access to an official for interviews 2) Attacks on the media, including destruction of eqipment and other properties 3) Lack of PPEs to report safely 4) Job losses and salary cuts." (Conclusion, page 7-8)
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"Sierra Leone continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the dissemination of information across various platforms. The media have generally been supportive in providing the public with information and education about COVID-19. However, media owners and managers continue to raise concerns
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about difficulties in running their institutions amidst COVID-19. Some media institutions have started rotational work schedules to cope with the lack of resources to pay staff. The situation has left media institutions worried about their sustainability during the outbreak of COVID-19 and beyond. The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) was able to secure some support for training of journalists and some financial support for radio and television stations and newspapers for broadcasting and publishing contents on COVID-19. This is, however, not enough given the enormity of the economic impact on the media industry. It is, therefore, recommended that the government of Sierra Leone put in place financial relief packages to support the media in the country in these trying times." (Conclusion)
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"With many workplaces in semi or total lockdown in response to COVID-19, many journalists are adjusting to the new reality of working from home. This affects the way we report on our communities, the type of observations we can include in our stories and shifts our focus online. But how do we ensure
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that our community voices are still at the center of our reporting? And as we hunker down in front of our laptops in our makeshift home offices, what tools are available to stay connected with our newsrooms, sources and our communities? Mobile Journalists (MOJOs) and freelancers have the upper hand in this context. They’re used to working from home, cafe’s or wherever they can find a powerpoint. We’ve tapped their experience to bring together this guide designed to make remote work newbies look like #WFH veterans. And, because we know not everyone has reliable access to the internet, we have included high and low tech alternatives." (Page 1)
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"A clear-eyed, expert examination of the state of vaccine confidence globally -- and what it means for the future of life on earth. Considers the widening gulf between messages of medical authority and those on everyman platforms of our digital world, especially as it influences individual choice. C
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onsiders the dawning of vaccine resistance's social acceptance and its implications for human health. Authored by leading authority on vaccine confidence and the health anthropology." (Publisher description)
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"With the exception of the introduction of new press passes for the journalists by the Deputy Minister of Information and the harassment that followed its implementation, the media landscape in Liberia in May and June has been open and free. Even though the Ministry of Information reduced the freque
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ncy of updates on social media and stopped the regular press briefings especially in May, information about COVID-19 incidents and prevalence was generally available through the NPHIL website and social media pages. The information from the NPHIL helped the media greatly in producing news stories and articles. However, the recession in business and the continued drop in advertising and sponsorship significantly impacted media operations and viability. Due to the financial constraints, some journalists have been laid off, while some fulltime employees have been made freelancers. The situation has also made it difficult to honour salary obligations in some media houses." (Conclusion, page 7)
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"This is a short technical brief with important steps and resources on how country programs can track and address rumors around COVID-19 (as needed). The guide includes a number of great resources and links while also sharing nuggets from global, collective thinking around rumors." (Page 1)
"This Information Ecosystem Assessment includes the thoughts and opinions of 48 migrant community leaders and migrant workers in Thailand. The information was collected through a series of qualitative and quantitative techniques, using remote data collection methodologies to ensure the safety of par
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ticipants and researchers and compliance with global and Thai specific restrictions on movement and gathering. Key findings: Information on labor rights and immigration status is not widely available and contributes to increased anxiety, and exploitation of migrants by employers. Risk communication during the pandemic readily conveys how to prevent spread and how to identify symptoms, but most migrants are more concerned about the economic impact of the crisis, and the impact on their legal work and immigration status. Migrants with a low comprehension of Thai language are dependent on community leaders, NGOs and secondhand information delivered through informal networks. Migrants called for government and media to share more information relevant to them in their primary language or to use more simplified Thai terminology when sharing health information and explaining government restrictions in relation to COVID-19." (Executive summary)
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"The Children’s Radio Foundation (CRF) currently trains youth reporters at 68 radio stations across six African countries (The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia) to produce weekly radio shows and monthly outreach activities [...] This toolkit ha
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s three main goals: 1. to bring COVID-19 into focus and high on your agenda; 2. to introduce you to remote reporting and broadcasting and how it works; 3. to equip you to get other young people and adults in your community to become passionate about and open to share their COVID-19 stories." (Goals)
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"The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can spread rapidly and cause a lot of harm. But if communities respond appropriately and quickly, it is possible to limit its spread and the damage it causes. Mass media and communication have an absolutely vital role to play in this effort. Media can: provi
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de audiences with crucial information on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus; keep people up to date on the support services available and how to access them; counter dangerous rumours and incorrect information; hold authorities to account over their responsibility to protect the population; provide a platform for those affected or at risk to raise their concerns and needs, ask questions, and explore solutions; reassure and motivate people to help themselves and others. BBC Media Action has developed this handbook to help media support their audiences to face this health emergency." (Introduction)
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"In this paper, we provide recommendations for protecting freedom of expression and opinion and the right to impart and receive information to enable governments to fight the COVID-19 health crisis in a rights-respecting manner. There will be an aftermath to the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures go
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vernments put in place right now will determine what it will look like. The recommendations outlined below will help ensure that the rule of law, and the rights to freedom of expression and opinion, as well as the right to receive and to impart information, are protected throughout this crisis and in the future. Under no circumstances should any government allow people’s fundamental rights to fall victim to this pandemic." (Executive summary)
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"In view of providing consolidated and authentic information on the global crisis to the masses in an interesting and interactive mode, the NCSTC in association with Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust (ARMT) has brought out multimedia guide carrying important information on A-to-Z of COVID 19." (Preface
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)
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"In this RISJ factsheet we identify some of the main types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation seen so far. We analyse a sample of 225 pieces of misinformation rated false or misleading by factcheckers and published in English between January and the end of March 2020, drawn from a colle
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ction of fact-checks maintained by First Draft News." (Key findings)
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