The contagion of misinformation spreads to monkeypox - Part 2
Our latest analysis delves into why the misinformation crisis surrounding diseases like monkeypox has become a public health crisis.
Read our first installment of the series in Part 1 here.
Our findings continued – The dominant misinformation narratives around Monkeypox
2. Distrust in public authorities prevails
As our previous research with Tufts University has addressed - public health crises such as the global pandemic have wreaked havoc on citizens’ levels of trust instilled in government and health agencies. This has characterised the response to the recent outbreak of monkeypox too and is identified as our second dominant narrative.
The notion of a ‘Plandemic’ has become popular, following the release of a short documentary whereby film producers sought to spread conspiracy theories and peddle misinformation which suggested that COVID-19 was planned and spread by global elites in order to control the population. The concept of this ‘plandemic’ has transferred to monkeypox, as highlighted by online discussions that suggest the outbreak scenario was in fact made in August 2021, prior to the spike in cases in May 2022.
This has, in turn, contributed to the rise in fear experienced in relation to online conversations about the spread of monkeypox as depicted in Figure 5.
Figure 5 - Conspiracies about a ‘plandemic’ cause heightened levels of fear
An abundance of conspiracy theories continues to saturate online conversions about notable diseases such as monkeypox and COVID-19.
Whether they are supposedly self-created by governments and international organisations like the WHO, or by influential billionaires like Bill Gates, it is stirring anger and frustration amongst online communities as well as driving a poignant level of fear as highlighted in Figure 6.
Figure 6 - Influential figures like Bill Gates evoke dominant emotions of fear
Interestingly, the rise in cases of monkeypox has resurfaced critiques about the governance and actions of the World Health Organisation from the online community too.
The WHO has been slammed in recent years for its slow reaction to the outbreak of COVID-19 and its failure to reprimand China, which stalled sharing critical information about how the virus spread in January 2020 which could have arguably slowed the outbreak. Some have even dubbed the WHO as ‘China’s coronavirus accomplice’.
Such attacks have continued, with further accusations that the WHO was preparing a vote to outstrip the US and nearly 200 other nations of their sovereignty to ‘gain total control of the world’. The organisation has also consistently been blamed for fear-mongering, inciting unnecessary angst about diseases that aren’t fatal.
This level of scepticism and disgust about the WHO has caught on to the monkeypox outbreak and other global events with health implications, including the overturning of Roe V Wade in June.
Figure 7 - Negative sentiment dominates online conversations about the WHO
The misinformation crisis has become a public health crisis. What is the cure?
As demonstrated by our analysis, information management is now becoming one of the most serious challenges facing policymakers and scientists today.
It is clear that the misinformation crisis has become a public health crisis and the impact of coronavirus has been a significant contributing factor. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, conversations relating to health control measures, be that vaccines, lockdown regulations or rules on mask-wearing have become politicised and infiltrated by false narratives. Research continues to highlight the waning trust in governments, institutions and scientists stemming from the pandemic are now trickling down to diseases like monkeypox.
How can stakeholders work together to avoid similar reactions to the outbreak of future diseases, as well as encourage the adoption of preventative measures and save lives?
The first route is through prevention, i.e. inoculation through robust public health interventions and record-breaking vaccine rollouts as witnessed in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic.
An alternative strategy is to indirectly quell mass contagion of viruses and diseases through effective response and mitigation that curbs the spread of misinformation.
Some have argued that misinformation is a troubling, but necessary part of political discourse and attempts that seek to eliminate it carry larger risks than attempting to navigate it.
However, whilst this stance holds weight - we are no longer operating in an age likened to the 1800s when anti-vaccination campaigns around smallpox were contained, localised and limited by communication methods. Now, we are living in a digital age of hyper-connectivity where the amplification of dangerous, false conversations has amassed scale and speed unlike nothing experienced throughout history.
Addressing false narratives at their source, through official responses and platforms will now, ultimately save lives.
Collaborative efforts have already begun. For example, the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA) is a formed regional network consisting of fact-checking and media organisations, big data, AI and innovation bodies and leading inter-governmental and NGOs working in public health to respond to infodemics.
It is encouraging to note that government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also taking the necessary precautions, using social listening as a tool to understand the contagion of misinformation. Ripple Research’s work with the CDC in the Middle East, is but one example of how organisations are using big data to unearth the large-scale sentiment of groups around vaccine hesitancy and adoption in order to help policymakers and government agencies make informed public health decisions.
We hope that our continued work at Ripple Research in partnership with leading global organisations can continue to innoculate people against misinformation and prevent the spread of the infodemic.
If you’re interested in reading more on this topic, look at our case study that explores disinformation on social media in India.
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