By Helen Petousis-Harris*
The recently released Royal Commission of Inquiry report about New Zealand’s COVID response highlights the harmful impact of misinformation and disinformation on public health.
While the report offers no solutions, it notes that disinformation campaigns fuelled division and loss of trust in government. It’s an age-old problem that has proved extremely difficult to counter.
Indeed, the practice of disinformation and propaganda has ancient roots, with some of the earliest recorded use of these techniques dating back to antiquity. The Greeks were among the first to study and formalise the art of rhetoric, a cornerstone of effective propaganda.
In 2010, colleagues and I published research that analysed vaccine narratives for the use of logical fallacies defined by Aristotle. We highlighted many common techniques of manipulation. It was a fun exercise in a more innocent time.
Understanding and analysing these manipulative tactics has evolved alongside their use in both political and military strategies. So have the tactics of mitigating the impact of such strategies.
Early approaches to counteract these effects typically involved promoting transparency, education and critical thinking. This still stands today, but the time for merely talking about the problem has passed.
What’s required now is decisive action and robust policy to address misinformation and disinformation as we navigate the ongoing impacts of the COVID pandemic.
How to recognise misinformation and disinformation
Misinformation refers to inaccurate information spread without harmful intent, often due to a misunderstanding or mistake. Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately deceptive and crafted to manipulate public sentiment or promote discord.
Research has meticulously mapped the contours of misinformation and disinformation surrounding vaccines. Experts highlighted that the conditions for the spread of misinformation were ripe before the pandemic.
Identifying misinformation and disinformation involves a critical evaluation of content and its source. A first question is the source credibility. Is the information from a recognised authority or reputable news source?
The next bit, logical consistency, is harder to detect. Does the information contain contradictions or logically impossible claims? Many false narratives are internally inconsistent or implausible.
Often there will also be at least some level of emotional manipulation. Disinformation frequently exploits emotions such as fear or anger to enhance engagement and sharing.
The subtle art of rhetoric
Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument. For example, the ad hominem fallacy attacks the person making an argument rather than the argument itself. This is a common tactic to undermine credible sources.
Cherry picking is the practice of selecting data that support a particular argument while ignoring data that contradict it. This is harder to spot if you are unfamiliar with the topic.
Conspiracy theories are another major tool in the propaganda kit. During the pandemic, numerous conspiracy theories have misrepresented scientific evidence and the intentions of health authorities and experts. The claim of cover-ups is often the final go-to when there is no other convincing argument.
Studies have repeatedly shown how false claims spread across social media platforms and how this influences public perceptions and behaviours detrimental to health. From myths about vaccine ingredients causing harm to conspiracy theories about global surveillance, these untruths have a real impact.
Surveys have repeatedly highlighted a worrying trend: a segment of the public, including some health professionals, harbours scepticism about vaccines, fuelled by unmitigated misinformation.
How to counter disinformation
The consequences of disinformation campaigns are not abstract or random. It is crucial to recognise that such campaigns are meticulously designed and executed with specific goals in mind. One of the most insidious is the erosion of social cohesion.
This is achieved by injecting divisive and false narratives into public discourse. They exploit socio-political fissures, amplifying scepticism and opposition to public health measures such as vaccination.
These campaigns leverage sophisticated strategies and technologies to manipulate public perception. They exploit societal divisions and foster distrust in authoritative sources, particularly in science and medicine. Once consensus on basic facts is eroded, effective action becomes difficult.
Significant research efforts have aimed to understand how best to counter misinformation and sophisticated disinformation campaigns. These studies emphasise the importance of clear, consistent and credible communication from trusted sources.
Public health campaigns that engage directly with community leaders and employ tailored messaging have shown promise in increasing trust and positive health behaviours. “Pre-bunking”, which involves educating people on how to spot misinformation before they encounter it, is gaining traction.
Authorities and public health leaders must prioritise transparency to rebuild and maintain public trust. Being open about the uncertainties and evolving nature of science can help mitigate the impact of disinformation that exploits gaps in public knowledge.
Increasing media literacy is also important. By understanding the common tactics used in disinformation campaigns, people can become less susceptible to their influences.
Collaboration between governments, international organisations and tech companies is essential. These stakeholders must work together to detect and limit the spread of harmful content and promote accurate information appropriate to the audience (right message, right messenger, right platform).
Time to act
Despite these insights, a coordinated, large-scale and multi-pronged strategy to combat misinformation remains elusive. Governments and health organisations often react to misinformation rather than being proactive, or worse, leave a vacuum.
The challenge of misinformation is not insurmountable, but it requires more than ad-hoc responses. We need a strategic, well-resourced commitment from the highest levels of government and health leadership.
It takes courage and the ability to walk a tightrope between freedom of speech and protecting public health. Both are human rights.
As we continue to navigate the repercussions of the COVID pandemic, let us prioritise the integrity of our public health communications and bring all the facets we need to do this together. This includes media, tech companies, academics and community leaders.
Only through a united front can we hope to restore and maintain the public trust essential for overcoming this crisis and future public health challenges.
*Helen Petousis-Harris, Associate Professor in Vaccinology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
13 Comments
"...freedom of speech and protecting public health. Both are human rights."
Of all the places to criticize this column i think this is best starting point. How is "protecting public health" a human right? (Access to health services might be a right but don't conflate this with what was written) My interpretation, in the context of the column, is of "protecting public health" is the authoritarian right of the government to medicate the population as it thinks is best.
The latest example of this system getting it wrong is the HRT thing. Should everyone have just shut up not questioned the medication?
It's not like they got it right with mass vaccination. Everyone still got the disease and healthy people who refused were just fine.
"the right to refuse medical treatment" is the human right here
I'd like to hear her comment on why they changed the definition of vaccine so this could be introduced as an untested Gene therapy.
Why no other treatments were considered. Hint- so they could have emergency use authorisation.
At the end of the day was there a risk that this medical treatment could cause you harm?
If you did take up there offer and you got hurt or injured would you be compensated?
If it could even remotely cause injury how could it be mandated or forced through loss of work or civil liberties?
The only disinformation came from the govt and health dept.
It's not good when the govt releases comments like the following:
"People who are vaccinated will still get Covid-19; it just means that they won't get sick and they won't die" (Jacinda Ardern)
It is poor, misleading communications as it can be interpreted as follows:
- Vaccines will prevent you from dying if you get Covid
- People who don't receive vaccines will get sick and die
Neither interpretations are correct. Despite this, a reasonable assumption is that if you trust the above public statement, you should get vaccinated against Covid. However, with the benefit of hindsight, you could argue that the probability of positive impacts from being vaccinated cannot really be determined.
At the end of the day I ignored everything and made up my own mind not to take it. Do I have a problem with what happened ? Not really as it was ultimately your decision on whether to take it or not. I probably had more of an issue about being treated like a Leper and by others that because they had taken "One for the Team" that somehow I should be guilt tripped into it.
Germany and Japan are two countries where there has long been public skepticism about vaccines. A significant factor contributing to vaccine skepticism in both these countries is a lack of trust in governmental institutions and pharmaceutical companies. it is historical in nature and also related to wartime atrocities. Both countries are advanced in medical and pharma research.
In the case of Japan, in the early 1990s, reports of aseptic meningitis cases linked to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine fueled skepticism. The government responded by withdrawing the MMR vaccine from circulation in 1993 after only four years of use. A court ruling held the government liable for adverse reactions to vaccines, even without scientific evidence linking the vaccines to those reactions. This ruling significantly impacted public perception, leading to a cautious approach towards vaccination policies.
...disinformation campaigns fuelled division...
Side effects which started within 12 hours (and a Dr giving me a strange 'thats wierd' response as if they had a gun to their head) of a 'vaccination' fuelled my division with the narrative.
Surveys have repeatedly highlighted a worrying trend: a segment of the public, including some health professionals, harbours scepticism about vaccines, fuelled by unmitigated misinformation.
Very wierd! It couldnt be observing their fellow medical professionals with their medical licenses on the line seeing the ineffectiveness and sickness caused by them? I think these health professionals need a healthy nudge towards the truth, you could call it a work camp.
Only through a united front can we hope to restore and maintain the public trust essential for overcoming this crisis and future public health challenges.
This is a horrible misunderstanding. Precisely the problem is when the public perceive a 'united front'; it implies that authorities have collectively decided what the truth will be, and will resist any developments that will change that line even if reality demands it. We saw a bit of that during Covid, and it was profoundly damaging to public trust. (An example I'd give: stopping travel from the epicentre of the epidemic was racist and unscientific according to authorities, and a few weeks later stopping all travel anywhere was absolutely necessary according to the very same authorities.) The problem is that even if you're right 90% of the time, when you double down on your errors and insist on defaming those who point them out, you lose the trust of the public. Think of someone you know; someone you like and trust; how will you feel about them if they lie to your face and then insult you for questioning them? Even if they have been reliably right for years, you'll stop listening to them and turn to other sources.
It presents a challenge to us all. Institutions and experts have to learn to address the public with appropriate transparency and willingness to acknowledge uncertainty, and not insult or dismiss their doubters. We, the public, have to keep our cool and not throw the baby out with the bathwater; experts usually do know more than Youtube randoms. I do worry that 'misinformation' initiatives risk making both problems worse.
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