• The dangerous global flood of misinformation surrounding COVID-19

    The dangerous global flood of misinformation surrounding COVID-19

    Apr 28, 2020 10:25 PM EDT

    ... a hotbed for conspiracy theories. Social media giants, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, have all faced growing criticism about their role in the spread of misinformation. Facebook, which is a funder of the "NewsHour," now alerts users when they interact with false coronavirus content. On another popular platform, Reddit, users ...

  • Virus misinformation flourishes in online protest groups

    Virus misinformation flourishes in online protest groups

    Apr 21, 2020 10:05 PM EDT

    ... coronavirus death numbers.Even, who helps run the Facebook groups in Minnesota and Wisconsin with the Dorrs, said she believes many people are unintentionally sharing misinformation on the pages. "A lot of times people are posting because they're not aware it is fake or false information," she said. But ...

  • UN chief: World faces 'epidemic of misinformation' about virus

    UN chief: World faces 'epidemic of misinformation' about virus

    Apr 14, 2020 09:51 PM EDT

    UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday that the world is facing “a dangerous epidemic of misinformation” about COVID-19 and announced a U.N. campaign to flood the internet with facts and science to counter what he called “a poison” that is putting lives at ...

  • Why uncertainty about coronavirus breeds opportunity for misinformation

    Why uncertainty about coronavirus breeds opportunity for misinformation

    Apr 10, 2020 10:41 PM EDT

    How to share information about COVID-19 responsibly Media experts and researchers say there are things you can do to identify misinformation before sharing it yourself. First, prioritize information coming directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and state and local officials about the ...

  • Out-of-context photos are a powerful low-tech form of misinformation

    Out-of-context photos are a powerful low-tech form of misinformation

    Feb 18, 2020 06:04 PM EDT

    This form of misinformation can be particularly dangerous because images are a powerful tool for swaying popular opinion and promoting false beliefs. Psychological research has shown that people are more likely to believe true and false trivia statements, such as “turtles are deaf,” when they’re presented alongside an image ...

  • Misinformation on novel coronavirus impacting Asian American businesses

    Misinformation on novel coronavirus impacting Asian American businesses

    Feb 18, 2020 04:56 PM EDT

    Business owners, some of whom have seen their customer traffic cut by more than half, are anxiously waiting for things to return to normal.

  • UN health agency tackles misinformation over virus outbreak

    UN health agency tackles misinformation over virus outbreak

    Feb 03, 2020 07:03 PM EDT

    WHO is also battling misinformation, working with Google to ensure that people get facts from the U.N. health agency first when they search for information about the virus. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tencent and TikTok have also taken steps to limit the spread of misinformation and ...

  • How war and misinformation are complicating the DRC's Ebola battle

    How war and misinformation are complicating the DRC's Ebola battle

    Jan 15, 2020 11:25 PM EDT

    An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has plagued Democratic Republic of Congo for nearly a year and a half, with more than 3,000 people getting sick and 2,000 dead. Major medical advances in prevention and treatment have kept the disease's toll from rising, but ongoing war -- and attacks on medical teams -- have...

  • Are social media giants doing enough to prevent the spread of misinformation?

    Are social media giants doing enough to prevent the spread of misinformation?

    Dec 13, 2019 11:35 PM EDT

    Social media has revolutionized the way we connect and communicate -- and certainly not all for the better. In his new book, “Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation,” Andrew Marantz explores how digital platforms full of unforeseen vulnerabilities have been exploited by racists and vandals. William Brangham sits down with...

  • WATCH: Tech giants' power under scrutiny in House hearing on news, misinformation

    WATCH: Tech giants' power under scrutiny in House hearing on news, misinformation

    Jun 11, 2019 02:49 PM EDT

    Members of both parties suggested legislation may be necessary for the financially-struggling U.S. news industry as lawmakers began a bipartisan investigation into the market dominance of Silicon Valley companies.