Infodemic and disinformation: systematic literature review on communication and health information strategies in pandemic situations
The research analyzed the dissemination of information and disinformation during health crises, such as pandemics, with the aim of understanding who produces, shares and consumes it, as well as its consequences for public health.
After analyzing more than 3,500 scientific articles on the subject, the results found by NetLab UFRJ highlight that, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, disinformation spread widely on social networks, driven by influential public figures.
Although doctors and scientists are seen as reliable sources, many people turn to more accessible information, such as that shared by friends and social networks.
The study also revealed that an excess of information, including fake news, can generate anxiety and fear, while distrust of authorities favors belief in conspiracy theories.
The work was carried out for the Ministry of Health by researchers from UFRJ and UFF under the coordination of Professor Rose Marie Santini, director of NetLab UFRJ, and with funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
Impact
O Globo
A study carried out by researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) identified the use of the strategy in at least 57 publications made by 38 websites, most of them Bolsonaro sites, throughout the pandemic. GLOBO found that some of these texts were even published by members of parliament from the government's base.
Conexão UFRJ
Although in Brazil surveys carried out by specialized companies - such as Datafolha - show that more than 90% of the population intends to get vaccinated, fake news has been generating distrust in the public about immunizations and other basic health guidelines in the pandemic. According to Rose Marie Santini, a professor at the School of Communication (ECO) and a researcher at NetLab, there is an intense circulation of false, incorrect or misleading information, simulating scientific production or dissemination on the transmission, treatment and prevention of Covid-19, in particular therapies proven to be ineffective.
Fake science on covid-19: scientific articles, systematic reviews and fake meta-analyses
The Covid-19 pandemic amplifies the threat posed by “fake science”, the dissemination of false information through texts that simulate scientific language in order to inspire confidence in those who read them. The strategy has become central to the global infodemic caused by the coronavirus, including spreading recommendations for therapies without scientific proof and stimulating denialist discourse about the seriousness of the pandemic. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), under the coordination of Professor Rose Marie Santini (School of Communication/UFRJ) and with funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), for the Ministry of Health.
Ministry of Health seminar
The Zero Milestone Seminar, organized by the Ministries of Health and Science, Technology and Innovation, in partnership with CNPq, invited members of all the projects included in a special call for proposals dedicated to research that can contribute to public management of the new coronavirus pandemic. The partnership between the ministries, which came about during the administration of former Health Minister Luiz Mandetta, selected research being carried out in various areas of knowledge. Among the projects is research by NetLab UFRJ.