Infodemic articles

Provenance: ‘Stop and think’ before sharing online content
Challenging dis- information in the news requires a multi faceted, multi disciplinary and multi media approach. The EU funded project ‘Provenance’ focuses on helping people evaluate online content, equipping them with media literacy skills and discouraging the sharing of unreliable information. Could interventions like this change the dynamics of social sharing by encouraging engagement with high-quality content?

What drives public trust? Broadening the traditional scope of science communication with TRESCA
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation of our daily lives and, by now, we are all a bit more dependent on technology than we had been before. But how can we trust all the scientific information that we receive through the media? How can we have a common understanding of what is reliable when we are being exposed to massive online information flows? Do we trust the same truths? What kind of people are more susceptible to trusting conspiracy theories? Using a novel approach based on social science, the new EU-funded project TRESCA tackles these, and other, research questions.

Vaccination policy in times of Covid-19
As multiple COVID-19 vaccines are emerging, what can be done to tackle vaccination hesitancy and ensure rapid and equitable deployment?

Infodemic: how coronavirus became the litmus test for tech companies’ struggle to contain mis- & disinformation
Face to the 'infodemic': Facebook, Twitter and Google are among the actors pushed into action in the face of fast spreading Covid-19 disinformation but the efficiency of their efforts will need proper evaluation. As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic that found most governments around the world unprepared, Covid-19 related mis- and disinformation threatens ...

Fake news in science : how false medical news on social media miseducates our society
Social media platforms have taken a leading role in our everyday lives and have changed the way we obtain health information online. The most recent topic fuelling disinformation is the novel Coronavirus. However, it is not the only one.

Coronavirus : a pandemic scare turning into an infodemic
Pandemics have the potential to exacerbate underlying social tensions. And at times of crises — when emotions run high — online rumours spread particularly wide and fast.