Media and False information
The media has never been more powerful than it is now, thanks to Internet connections. In less than a second, one piece of news reaches multiple continents. People may quickly learn about what is going on the other side of the planet. False information and rumors, on the other hand, propagate at a tremendous speed, making it difficult to clarify. During COVID, this phenomenon became quite prominent.
COVID’s origins have been the subject of several news pieces since its inception. Some think it was manufactured in a lab, while others say it was formed in nature and has just recently evolved into a human-infecting virus. The US and Chinese governments are still arguing over where COVID-19 originated. Other common misunderstandings concern how to prevent COVID infection. Fear about COVID began to spread when the vaccine was not completely developed. On the Internet, several questionable ways of COVID protection method have gone viral. Many “health specialists” claimed, for example, that consuming wine and vinegar may help us avoid COIVD and alleviate COVID symptoms. After the Vaccine is made, another rumor went around that it was bad for one’s health. This sparked a heated debate, with many arguing passionately about the facts they believe in.
Furthermore, rumors are transmitted in a variety of ways depending on the type of government regulations. In China, for example, where the government controls the mainstream media, inaccurate information can only be transmitted by a few minor private bloggers and publishers. According to what I’ve seen, it primarily affects elderly Chinese people who are anxious about their health and unable to determine whether the article is reliable. In nations where the media is less restricted by the government, such as the United States or the United Kingdom, the general public’s beliefs are mostly impacted by the news they read. Therefore, we can see a variety of opinions and arguments when we browse through different websites.
Finally, there’s the matter of how much the government should intervene with the media. When diverse beliefs from all around the world converge and clash, where should we draw the line between freedom of expression and propagating misleading information?
