Protect yourself & your friends from misinformation.
As some social media platforms are taking steps to prevent the spread of misinformation, we can do our parts too - here’s a few useful tips to help you dealing with misinformation.
- Seek out information from trusted media and government agencies
- Research by using the official term/phrase provided by government sources and avoid colloquial or buzz-words, e.g. ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Covid-19’ not ‘WuFlu’ or ‘China virus’
- Be mindful that commercial media platforms often publish advertorials among news content - they could be selling you a product or service
- Be aware that social media platforms are fundamentally technology companies with goal to maximize the time you spend on their platform and generate advertising revenue - social media are designed to feed you with what they think will hold your attention for as long as possible
- Think critically about how you determine something is accurate, particularly video content as they are often perceived as more trustworthy even they may be bias or inaccurate
- Avoid information that appears to be unsourced or inflammatory
- Think before you like or share a post - all abetted by technology platforms designed to send content, for the lack of better words, be viral
- When you’re reposting, make sure it is simple, clear, straightforward and unedited; also, it’s good manner to acknowledge the source of information
- As a statutory authority, AMES Australia use references come from the World Health Organization (WHO), Australian Government Department of Health, Victorian Department of Health & Human Services and Department of Education and Training Victoria.
https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/coronavirus---sorting-fact-from-fiction/11959852
Transcript (extracts)
JASON OM, REPORTER: Right now there are more than 45,000 people with coronavirus around the world. The overwhelming majority are in mainland China, around the epicentre, Wuhan.
More than 1,000 people have died but many more have recovered. In Australia, there have been 15 cases, bringing the risks closer to home.
Amid all the fear, we decided to ask two leading experts to give us the facts.
First off, what is it, and how can you catch it?
PROFESSOR DOMINIC DWYER, NSW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH PATHOLOGY: Coronaviruses are a family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold.
The main way this virus is spread is from what we call the respiratory route, in other words coughing and spluttering.
JASON OM: What are the symptoms?
DOMINIC DWYER: It can either be a mild illness, with just a sore throat and runny nose and feeling a bit unwell, to quite a severe and even fatal pneumonia.
JASON OM: Who is most vulnerable to the disease?
PROFESSOR BRENDAN MURPHY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: The most vulnerable in terms of severe disease do seem to be those with pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly.
For full video
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Information about the outbreak of COVID-19 and how you can protect yourself
ABC News published: 21/2/2020