I spoke at the first committee meeting of the National Academics of Science, Engineering and Medicine, as part of the virtual information gathering session of the panel on understanding and addressing misinformation about science.
Summary in on my LinkedIn blog, and here’s the video of the session. My key points were:
- When we post something online, it isn’t broadcasted like with media or radio – different people see different selections of information based on the communities they’re part of, platforms they use, and interests they have.
- Social media are an expression of people’s offline concerns.
- If people’s questions are not answered, concerns are not addressed, and information seeking is not met, this then provides an opportunity for misinformation and disinformation to take hold.
- What can also reduce the quality of content being shared is its freshness – outdated guidance, outdated content, or even retracted peer reviewed studies can be cited and cause more confusion, or increased engagement online that can propel misinformation narratives.
- Misinformation effects cannot be generalized. Different groups of people are differently vulnerable to misinformation, and they are also differently affected by it.
- We must strive for health information equity, so that everyone has access and can use and act on high-quality health information they trust.
- While health communication is necessary and essential to achieve health information equity, it is not sufficient alone to address people’s concerns and promote adherence to health guidance. Other actions and strategies must be considered as well, in relation to adapting health services, changing policy or guidance, or reducing harm.