Misinformation about coronavirus tests tech platforms' ability to thwart fake news, shows why we need journalists - Entrepreneur Generations

Misinformation about the coronavirus is spreading more quickly than the disease itself, "testing Big Tech platforms' ability to police rule-breaking content and China's ability to control domestic criticism," Sara Fischer and Ina Fried report for Axios. 

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google are trying to stop the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus, including fake government warnings and false info about how many people in the U.S. have been infected. Some of the misinformation comes from private Facebook groups that were created after the outbreak, according to The Washington Post.

China is also battling misinformation circulating on its social media platform Weibo, but to complicate matters, the government is spreading misinformation of its own in an effort to allay people's worries. "Chinese state media has tweeted photos purporting to show a new hospital, but which were actually stock images from a company that sells modular containers," Fischer and Fried report.

"Health care has long been a target of misinformation, because it plays into existing fears. This is especially true for disease outbreaks, which can spread faster than the news cycle is equipped to handle," Fischer and Fried report. Such misinformation can make outbreaks worse because people may mistrust even accurate information about how to stop the spread of diseases. 

"This is the latest lesson in why society needs information providers who practice a discipline of verification. In other words, journalists. And news outlet to pay them and enforce standards," says Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2RFASRe Misinformation about coronavirus tests tech platforms' ability to thwart fake news, shows why we need journalists - Entrepreneur Generations

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