Infodemia: Fake News in the Mainstream Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Media organizations are supposed to verify facts and provide reliable information. Their social responsibility in this regard is enormous. Yet even reliable media outlets can be sources of fake news for a variety of reasons. This is especially true during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic when the social demand for information is high.
On one hand, the rapidly changing pandemic situation generates extremely difficult conditions for media content creators who have little time to verify all materials. On the other hand, publishing fake news significantly undermines public confidence in news providers, and difficult working conditions are not the only reason for publishing such content. This special lecture will discuss the results of a study conducted in Poland in 2020, which concerned mis- and disinformation in the media sphere.
Visiting Scholar Dr. Malwina Popiolek will reveal how large a percentage of fake news in Poland was published by mainstream Polish media outlets, the type of content included in this fake news, and the reasons why the fake news was reported as true.