Misinformation was so widespread during the Covid pandemic that the World Health Organisation suggested we were in the midst of an “infodemic”. Research from the University of Kansas suggests that immigrants and minority populations were especially vulnerable. What’s more, as well as the risk of misinformation, they also suffered from harassment and hostility on top.
The study found that a lot of minorities relied on online media, both from within the US and from their country-of-origin to find information about the pandemic. While this was sometimes useful, it was by no means guaranteed.
“We found that many of our interviewees rely on the news and social media, including Facebook and YouTube, to find health information during the pandemic,” the researchers explain. “Noticeably, many participants use media sources from their country-of-origin as well as U.S.-based sources. However, while these platforms allowed them to receive social support and find the necessary information about COVID-19 protections and other information, at times these networks created more stress and fear amongst the participants.”
Widespread misinformation
This often hostile online environment was compounded by high levels of misinformation, with around two-thirds of respondents saying that they had come across misinformation online, both from their country of origin and US sources.
The hostility encountered previously meant that many people were reluctant to challenge or indeed counter any misinformation they found online. The only exception to this was when it originated from family members or close friends.
Obviously, minorities and immigrants represent a significant part of the American population, so it’s important that we gain a better understanding of how they obtain health-related information, especially during critical moments such as the pandemic.
The researchers believe their findings underline the importance of ensuring that reliable and accurate information is readily available on health-related topics, while also highlighting the need to tackle online harassment as part of any efforts to fight misinformation.
“The findings from this study highlight the importance and urgency for media organizations, health care providers, policymakers and government entities to take measures to create better information environments related to COVID-19 on social media,” the authors conclude. “We found that two-thirds of our sample was exposed in some way to misinformation online. It is essential for relevant organizations to identify and eliminate misinformation online and provide an information hub tailored for specific populations so that any needs of underserved immigrant populations can be addressed.”
