Amidst time of crisis, people around the world are in a hurry to find accurate information, but sometimes it91裸聊视频檚 not always there.
In times like these before technology, people around the would flood to a trusted news source to get the latest information. Now, even legacy news sources, mass media institutions that predominated the Information Age, are using social media to reach their readers.
A B.C. expert in communications is warning the public to check their sources and ensure what they91裸聊视频檙e reading is accurate, to help reduce the spread of misinformation.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a blessing and a curse,91裸聊视频� said professor and director of Simon Fraser University91裸聊视频檚 School of Communication, Peter Chow-White, in an interview March 18.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a (curse) because on the one hand there91裸聊视频檚 a lot of information out there, it91裸聊视频檚 hard to know - you have to sort of sift through a lot of it to figure out what91裸聊视频檚 right, what91裸聊视频檚 wrong, what91裸聊视频檚 real and what91裸聊视频檚 not.
91裸聊视频淭he blessing of social media is that the information gets delivered very quickly to our home, so we can react much faster than we normally would around these sorts of things.
Additionally, in order to navigate through crisis, he says the public needs to practice being information and media literate.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 huge on the individual these days,91裸聊视频� explained Chow-White.
91裸聊视频淭his is sort of a place where legacy news comes back into play and becomes more important than ever.91裸聊视频�
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With thousands of news sources and websites reporting on the pandemic, and some reporting on a crisis for the first time, the professor says the accuracy of information reaching people91裸聊视频檚 news feeds can be lost.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 just not their traditional domain,91裸聊视频� he said.
Social contagion, he explained, operates very similarly to viral contagion; there is a network effect, and social media amplifies this.
91裸聊视频淚t amplifies that (misinformation) and creates fear and panic in people91裸聊视频檚 minds without giving them the oportunity and the information to understand the context; how to mitiage that fear itself.
91裸聊视频淚n moments of crisis, fear is very real and palpable.91裸聊视频�
Earlier this month, Black Press Media reported that an Interior Health medical officer condemed an article published by an Okanagan media outlet. The article included a 91裸聊视频減rojected death91裸聊视频� calculation that upwards of 5,800 people in the Okanagan could die from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The media outlet since issued a public apology.
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Chow-White says since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, some information hasn91裸聊视频檛 been properly communicated.
91裸聊视频淚t would have been good to have messaging around - you don91裸聊视频檛 need a ton of toilet paper, and you don91裸聊视频檛 need it for two years. That91裸聊视频檚 a good case of how information gets delivered improperly and the narrative takes over instead of the science.91裸聊视频�
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However he added, there are many benefits to society tackling a crisis during the Information Age, thanks in part to social media.
91裸聊视频淪ocial media becomes critical in communication. People need to be able to go to Twitter and have the algorithms push the information that is most important and that is the most trustworthy,91裸聊视频� said Chow-White.
91裸聊视频淓ven though people are managing their own feeds, Twitter and Facebook have a social responsibility in these moments as well.91裸聊视频�
Social media companies have had to act quick in their response to misinformation but also access to facts since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
For Facebook, that includes banning ads that capitalize on fears, putting more funds into fact-checking resources to comb out the false claims about treatments, and removing all non-official COVID-19 accounts from Facebook and Instagram.
Twitter has pledged to relaunch its profile verification program to help identify authoritative voices in its attempt to ensure facts are being seen by users first and foremost.
Even Snapchat, which is used mainly by younger demographics, has added a dedicated section on its app for COVID-19 news.
Not a B.C. conversation, but a global one
Chow-White furthered that the current COVID-19 situation isn91裸聊视频檛 a B.C. conversation; it91裸聊视频檚 a global conversation which works at multiple levels. These include local, national and international levels.
Over the last month, several events have reinforced why Chow-White believes the internet is an uneven approach to following information by leadership, in the context of global information.
Referencing the topic of flattening the curve, moving from a mitigation strategy to a containment strategy, he says this wasn91裸聊视频檛 done particularly well in Canada, and especially B.C.
91裸聊视频淎n example of that is - the Ministry of Education on Friday (March 13) announced that there91裸聊视频檚 no reason to close schools - and it91裸聊视频檚 good to keep them open91裸聊视频� completely contradicting what the rest of the world is doing.
91裸聊视频淣inety-six hours (later), they reverse into a 180.91裸聊视频�
B.C. has been hosting afternoon news briefings on Monday to Friday and at noon on Saturday 91裸聊视频� streamed by all TV stations but also broadcasted live on the government91裸聊视频檚 social media channels. These briefings include a daily case count, any provincial orders delivered by B.C.91裸聊视频檚 top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and a question-and-answer portion for reporters.
Such provincial orders have included a ban on large gatherings 91裸聊视频� initially for events with more than 250 attendees but which has since been lowered to 50 guests 91裸聊视频� shutting down bars an dnightclubs and banning dine-in guests at restaurants.
"We are dealing today with things happening 10 to 14 days ago. The things we do now are going to help us 10 days, 14 days from now," Henry continues.
91裸聊视频� Ashley WASH-YOUR-HANDS-wani (@ashwadhwani)
But the ban on gatherings has proven just how difficult it is to get messaging quickly to thousands of provincial citizens. Days after Henry announced the order, people were still spotted on social media hosting weddings and other events.
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Henry has spent much of her daily briefings reminding the public that the ban may be on gatherings of more than 50, but that doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean that 45 attendees or even 20 or 10 makes anyone less at-risk of contracting the virus.
In fact, she has since urged people to stay indoors and if they go outside only go with the people you live with and in grous of no more than one or two 91裸聊视频� and most importantly, stay six feet apart.
The province unveiled this week that under the current state of emergency, bylaw officers are now being enabled to enforce government restrictions.
On Friday, March 27, Henry unveiled what she called 91裸聊视频榗autious optimism91裸聊视频� that the various contact restrictions had the potential transmission.
That report sparked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to remind the public that while 91裸聊视频渁n excellent sign,91裸聊视频� the news offered even more of a reason for people to continue listening to advice of health officials.
91裸聊视频淚f we are seeing a reduction in the spikes, then that shows it is working but that means we need to continue what we are doing,91裸聊视频� he said.
Unevennes has since evened out, says expert
Canada, Chow-White explained, is among the third wave of areas hit, following Asia and Italy. Currently, the U.S. is dealing with the most cases in the world right now, as China has started to see a drastic reprieve.
Iran, he said, has been one of the hardest hit areas.
Last week pictures surfaced online of football-field sized mass graves, taken from space.
91裸聊视频淚f that was a first-world country, then we91裸聊视频檇 be a lot more panicked. But we tend to ignore these sorts of things in the global north, unfortunately. Not everybody mind you, but a lot of people,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚f there was some sort of connection between that and us, a little more force through the last week, we wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have people walking around outside right now, casually wondering why they can91裸聊视频檛 go out for St. Patty91裸聊视频檚 Day.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not trying to make light of it, I91裸聊视频檓 just trying to illustrate a lag and an unevenness.91裸聊视频�
Thankfully, he said, that unevenness had since evened out. He says people are getting it, and they91裸聊视频檙e staying home.
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editor@pentictonwesternnews.com
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