Verify, don’t amplify: 7 tips on how to debunk coronavirus disinformation

Everything you need to know to debunk coronavirus-related disinformation without amplifying it

The COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by an unprecedented infodemic — the viral spread of false information about the disease and our response to it. To date, at least 600 people have died attempting deadly coronavirus “cures”, such as drinking bootleg alcohol or bleach.

Reporting on coronavirus-related disinformation responsibly is no easy feat, but I’ve put together some handy tips for journalists and fact-checkers on how to fight the infodemic without inadvertently amplifying it.

1. If you are fact-checking, do not frame your headline as a question❓

As tempting as it is to use a question in the headline to get more hits, avoiding it could help reach audiences beyond your echo chamber.

A case in point, if you come across an article with a headline “Can large doses of vitamin C prevent or help to treat COVID-19?” and you’ve already read somewhere else that it can, you will simply presume the answer is yes and keep scrolling assuming no new information will be presented.