How a conspiracy documentary hijacked US social media and fuelled fake news around coronavirus. Plus, schooling in Peru.
COVID-19 misinformation in the US
So much about this pandemic remains unknown, which is why reporting on it is so challenging. A lack of scientific consensus, heavy-handed government policies, and lockdown-induced economic woes have resulted in a wave of fear, anxiety, and powerlessness - perfect conditions for misinformation and conspiracy theories to thrive.
The US is ground zero for a lot of these theories, not least because the president and outlets like Fox News have long trafficked in them. There is a market for conspiracy theories; one that can turn a discredited scientist and an obscure filmmaker into an internet phenomenon.
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