Syria: An eruption of violence and a misinformation crisis

Just months after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria has been rocked by an eruption of violence. Coastal towns have turned into killing fields, with forces aligned with the government accused of massacring hundreds of civilians from religious minorities.

The Syrian online space is also littered with misinformation – part of an information war that is inciting sectarian fear and deepening divisions, in a country still raw from years of civil war and decades under a brutal regime.

Abortion misinformation in the United States of America

 

The criminalisation of abortion in the US comes after a decades long misinformation campaign by Christian media and the far right. Plus, the loud silence over Balochistan

The Supreme Court of the United States has revoked the legal right to have an abortion, and certain sectors of the US media have had an important role to play in pushing things in this direction.

Dazed and confused: Europe’s troubled COVID vaccine rollout

Mixed messaging and misinformation hamper Europe’s hesitant COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Scientists say vaccines are our way out of this pandemic. But with trust in vaccination at an all-time low, the role of the messengers – politicians, pharmaceutical companies and the news media – is as important as ever.

 

The danger of religious misinformation around Covid vaccines

 

As coronavirus vaccines are delivered across the world, leaders are working hard to build confidence in them. Religious leaders in particular can play a crucial role in convincing people to get vaccinated, with many working hard to spread the news that vaccines are safe and effective.

Did China deliberately spread disinformation about the coronavirus? | DW News

 China has responded with anger to allegations from the US that it withheld information about the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak last year. Beijing said Washington had quote 'already gravely damaged international cooperation on COVID- 19' and was now 'pointing fingers at other countries.'

Fears vaccine misinformation could affect take-up

 

With a number of potential vaccines for Covid-19 now imminent, there are increasing concerns that misinformation online could turn some people against being immunized.

How coronavirus misinformation is used to curb free speech

 

The coronavirus pandemic has spawned its own epidemic of disinformation. Social media is awash with it, emanating from the political fringes and even from those at the center of power. Many governments and medical organizations are waging a secondary war against misinformation and deliberate disinformation.

Trump releases hospital video as COVID misinformation spikes

 US President Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time from the hospital where's being treated for COVID-19. He released a video message on Twitter, adding that the coming days will be the real test of his fight against the coronavirus.

Because Donald Trump and his previous doctors have lied so easily about his health no one really believes the information his current medical team is releasing to the public concerning his treatment for the coronavirus.

Will 60% Get Coronavirus? w Stephen Fry.

Will coronavirus keep resurging until we reach herd immunity, with 60% of the population infected? Or can we hold it back until a vaccine is available?

“Misinformation spread through a rich network, crippling America’s defenses,” Fry said over clips of Fox News, radio host Rush Limbaugh and right-wing evangelicals.

Fox & Fiends

Co-founder Jennifer Horn writes:

From Sean Hannity calling the coronavirus a ‘hoax’ to Ainsley Earhardt calling this the ‘safest time to fly’ to Laura Ingraham accusing those trying to sound the alarm of trying to gain ‘cheap political points,’ FOX News has become nothing more than a propaganda outlet for Donald Trump,” said Jennifer Horn, co-founder of The Lincoln Project.
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The network consistently reports lies and unverified information as fact. Their “coverage” of the coronavirus pandemic has revealed just how low they are willing to go to remain in Trump’s good graces. By repeating the ignorant statements made by Trump and parroting his dangerously incorrect ramblings about the deadly virus, they have placed their audience at grave risk.

Seattle's NPR Station Stops Airing White House Briefings Because Of False And Misleading Infornation

KUOW is monitoring White House briefings for the latest news on the coronavirus — and we will continue to share all news relevant to Washington State with our listeners. (1)

— KUOW Public Radio (@KUOW) March 24, 2020

One must applauded KUOW of Seattle for refusing to air these briefings masquerading as Trump campaign events. In every briefing his attended the medical experts in attendance have been forced to correct the out right lies and false information he's providing to the American people.

Why obvious lies make great propaganda

At first glance, US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin seem to have wildly different communication styles. But what they share is a tendency to repeat big, obvious lies -- a tactic researchers have dubbed the “firehose of falsehood.” Whether it’s lying about Russian troops in Crimea or falsely claiming millions of people voted illegally during the 2016 election, both leaders demonstrate a kind of shamelessness when it comes to telling and retelling big lies. And that’s because firehosing isn’t actually about persuasion. It’s about power

Cambridge Analytica Uncovered: Secret filming reveals election tricks

The company at the centre of the Facebook data breach boasted of using honey traps, fake news campaigns and operations with ex-spies to swing election campaigns around the world, a new investigation reveals.

Executives from Cambridge Analytica spoke to undercover reporters from Channel 4 News about the dark arts used by the company to help clients, which included entrapping rival candidates in fake bribery stings and hiring prostitutes to seduce them.

In one exchange, the company chief executive, Alexander Nix, is recorded telling reporters: “It sounds a dreadful thing to say, but these are things that don’t necessarily need to be true as long as they’re believed.”