COVID-19 disinformation and fake news circulation—from the perspective of Global South Countries

• Published in: Ecologies of Global Risk Journalism: Conceptualizing Local Journalism in an Era of Deep Disruptions
• Main Authors: Chinnasamy S.; Salvosa F.F., II; Esguerra C.V.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85214866849&doi=10.4324%2f9781003431268-7&partnerID=40&md5=722c646ed39b7133aad5f230bb7eef01

The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how the spread of misinformation, amplified on social media and other digital platforms, is proving to be as much a threat to global public health as the virus itself. Technology advancements and social media create opportunities to keep people safe, informed, and connected. However, the same tools also enable and amplify the disinformation that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardise measures to control the pandemic. The large-scale contamination of the public sphere through rumours, hate speech, conspiracy theories, and orchestrated deception campaigns is causing widespread concern around the world. These ills are collectively referred to as “information disorder.” Utilising the risk journalism framework developed by the Global Risk Journalism Hub (GRJH), this chapter examines this phenomenon and its potential consequences in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Pakistan. They are emerging democracies where the news media face economic and political pressures. The results of interviews with journalists show a rapidly changing media ecology and an increasingly fractious, populist, and polarised political environment in countries such as Malaysia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. For instance, in Malaysia, health disinformation is often related to extremist views of vaccinations and the question of whether these are permissible under Islamic law; in the Philippines, politicians themselves promoted treatments based on non-scientific evidence. In Pakistan, people’s lack of digital literacy skills and propensity to believe in conspiracy theories exacerbated COVID-19-related misinformation. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Ingrid Volkmer, Bruce Mutsvairo, Saba Bebawi, Ansgard Heinrich and Antonio Castillo; individual chapters, the contributors. All rights reserved.