Trust in information sources during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Romanian case study

Abstract Higher levels of trust in credible sources of information in times of crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic increase public compliance with official recommendations, minimizing health risks and helping authorities manage the crisis. Based on a national survey (N=1160), this article explores (a) actual levels of trust in various sources of information (government websites, legacy media, social media, and interpersonal communication) during the pandemic and (b) a number of predictors of such trust. Results show that during the period studied government websites were the most trusted source of information. Trust in an information source is correlated with consumption of COVID-19–related news from that specific source, media fact-checking, and self-perception about the incidence of COVID-19–related fake news. Only income and age are significant trust predictors, and only with respect to specific source types.

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Fiction as Information

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl7378 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Mary Ann Ann Harlan

Keyword(s):

Everyday Life ◽

Information Literacy ◽

Information Source ◽

Learning Object ◽

Art Form ◽

Glass Door ◽

Aesthetic Reading ◽

Academic Information ◽

Source Of Information

Information Literacy is built on the idea that when we encounter information we can evaluate that information to incorporate into our knowledge schema. As such information can be encountered in a variety of ways, as academic information, workplace information, or everyday life information. Art forms can also be considered information, including literature. As an art form literature has been theorized to be a window, mirror, and a sliding glass door (Bishop, 1990) to the reader, an information source regarding our world. The notion that fiction is an information source is not particularly considered in much of the information literacy scholarly research. This paper examines how adolescents engage with fiction as a source of information. Using a small case study of a class of 16 and 17 year olds the paper examines how they construct ficiton and aesthetic reading as an information source, particularly using the metaphor of the window and the mirror. While students might consider reading as a way to explore their identity, elements related to their stance towards reading impacted their ability to see reading fiction as an information source. Furthermore they were unlikely to engage fiction as a "window" or a way to learn about others. Specific pedagogical structures may encourage a more critical stance towards aesthetic reading as a way to engage in as a learning object.

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The citizen as a source of information: a case study on Jornal da Tarde, RT

Comunicação e Sociedade ◽

10.17231/comsoc.30(2016).2498 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 283-296

Author(s):

Inês Mendes ◽

Raquel Martins

Keyword(s):

Public Service ◽

Interesting Case ◽

Case Review ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

News Production ◽

The Given ◽

Source Of Information ◽

Citizen’S Participation

Indispensable to news production, sources of information are complex and provide an interesting case review. Without them a journalist’s work would be next to impossible to perform since those sources are able to reinforce and give credibility to the news. In a time when the citizen’s participation in public service media is gaining more and more importance, this study aims to understand the kind of representation and prominence given to the citizen in the Portuguese television Public Service. In addition to understanding the presence of the citizen in Jornal da Tarde, RTP (Radio and Television of Portugal) the goal is to make a connection between the role of the Portuguese television Public Service and the need, or not, to call upon non-official voices to support the credibility and even the veracity of the topic in hand. In which topics the citizen’s voice is more present and which testimonials are more sought after by RTP are some of the topics under discussion. In order to do that – identify the news in which the citizen’s voice was used and to find answers to the given question – a content analysis of 21 broadcasts of Jornal da Tarde was performed.

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Preferensi Sumber Informasi Inovasi Pengolahan Kotoran Ternak Menjadi Kompos pada Kelompok Peternak Sapi Potong di Kabupaten Bantul

Sains Peternakan ◽

10.20961/sainspet.v10i2.4878 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 93

Author(s):

Emiliana Anggriyani ◽

F Trisakti Haryadi ◽

Suharjono Triatmojo

Keyword(s):

Key Words ◽

Personal Information ◽

Information Source ◽

Primary Data ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Source Of Information ◽

Descriptive Method

The aim of this study was to analyze the sources of information of innovation in processing manure into compost. The respondents used in this study were the members of Sido Rejo and Sido Mulyo groups in Bantul who had already obtained information about the innovation of compost. This research was conducted by census through interviews of the object of research to obtain primary data. The preference of the information source of compost innovation was analyzed by descriptive method. The results of the research showed that most respondents from Sido Rejo and Sido Mulyo group preferred the personal information source. The study came to a conclusion that the personal information source was preferred by most respondents from Sido Rejo and Sido Mulyo groups.Key words: preference, source of information, innovation, compost

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Trends and Predictors of COVID-19 Information Sources and Their Relationship With Knowledge and Beliefs Related to the Pandemic: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.21071 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shahmir H Ali ◽

Joshua Foreman ◽

Yesim Tozan ◽

Ariadna Capasso ◽

Abbey M Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Information Sources ◽

Information Source ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mainstream Media ◽

Knowledge And Beliefs ◽

Government Websites ◽

The Impact ◽

Source Of Information

BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened need to understand health information seeking behaviors to address disparities in knowledge and beliefs about the crisis. OBJECTIVE This study assessed sociodemographic predictors of the use and trust of different COVID-19 information sources, as well as the association between information sources and knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. METHODS An online survey was conducted among US adults in two rounds during March and April 2020 using advertisement-based recruitment on social media. Participants were asked about their use of 11 different COVID-19 information sources as well as their most trusted source of information. The selection of COVID-related knowledge and belief questions was based on past empirical literature and salient concerns at the time of survey implementation. RESULTS The sample consisted of 11,242 participants. When combined, traditional media sources (television, radio, podcasts, or newspapers) were the largest sources of COVID-19 information (91.2%). Among those using mainstream media sources for COVID-19 information (n=7811, 69.5%), popular outlets included CNN (24.0%), Fox News (19.3%), and other local or national networks (35.2%). The largest individual information source was government websites (87.6%). They were also the most trusted source of information (43.3%), although the odds of trusting government websites were lower among males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.53-0.63) and those aged 40-59 years and ≥60 years compared to those aged 18-39 years (AOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.92; AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.71). Participants used an average of 6.1 sources (SD 2.3). Participants who were male, aged 40-59 years or ≥60 years; not working, unemployed, or retired; or Republican were likely to use fewer sources while those with children and higher educational attainment were likely to use more sources. Participants surveyed in April were markedly less likely to use (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.46) and trust (AOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.47-0.56) government sources. The association between information source and COVID-19 knowledge was mixed, while many COVID-19 beliefs were significantly predicted by information source; similar trends were observed with reliance on different types of mainstream media outlets. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 information source was significantly determined by participant sociodemographic characteristics and was also associated with both knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Study findings can help inform COVID-19 health communication campaigns and highlight the impact of using a variety of different and trusted information sources.

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Right to be Wrong: Examining the (Im) possibilities of Regulating Fake News while Preserving the Freedom of Expression in Kenya

Strathmore Law Review ◽

10.52907/slr.v4i1.108 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 19-46

Author(s):

Abdulmalik Sugow

Keyword(s):

Freedom Of Expression ◽

Peer Networks ◽

Fake News ◽

False Information ◽

Peer To Peer Networks ◽

Fact Checking ◽

Intermediary Liability ◽

Definition Of ◽

Source Of Information ◽

Legislative Measures

With the proliferation of peer-to-peer networks as a source of information, concerns on the accuracy of information shared have been raised, necessitating attempts by governments to regulate fake news. Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, for instance, criminalises the intentional dissemination of false or misleading data. However, such regulation has resulted in a different set of concerns, particularly its potential to bring about undue limitation on the freedom of expression. In appraising the approach taken in Kenya of imposing liability on perpetrators, and that taken in some jurisdictions of imposing intermediary liability, the article posits that similar difficulties are faced in regulating fake news – the freedom of expression could be curtailed. This is fuelled by ambiguity in the definition of ‘fake news’. Consequently, this article seeks to find out if indeed, it is possible to regulate fake news while preserving the freedom of expression in Kenya. Further, the article delves into some of the effects the proliferation of fake news has had on the democratic process in Kenya, thereby requiring regulation. In doing so, it tackles fake news from two general conceptions: fake news as calculated disinformation campaigns by individuals for certain purposes, and fake news as an overarching culture of misinformation that enables the spread of false information. Regarding the former, it finds that legislative measures may prove sufficient. However, the latter requires a combination of non-legislative measures such as collaborative measure, awareness initiatives and fact-checking.

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Going viral: How a single tweet spawned a COVID-19 conspiracy theory on Twitter

Big Data & Society ◽

10.1177/2053951720938405 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 205395172093840 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Anatoliy Gruzd ◽

Philip Mai

Keyword(s):

Conspiracy Theory ◽

Secondary Wave ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Far Right ◽

Public Health Agencies ◽

Health Agencies ◽

Fact Checking ◽

Twitter Users ◽

The U.S

In late March of 2020, a new hashtag, #FilmYourHospital, made its first appearance on social media. The hashtag encouraged people to visit local hospitals to take pictures and videos of empty hospitals to help “prove” that the COVID-19 pandemic is an elaborate hoax. Using techniques from Social Network Analysis, this case study examines how this conspiracy theory propagated on Twitter and whether the hashtag virality was aided by the use of automation or coordination among Twitter users. We found that while much of the content came from users with limited reach, the oxygen that fueled this conspiracy in its early days came from a handful of prominent conservative politicians and far right political activists on Twitter. These power users used this hashtag to build awareness about the campaign and to encourage their followers to break quarantine and film what is happening at their local hospitals. After the initial boost by a few prominent accounts, the campaign was mostly sustained by pro-Trump accounts, followed by a secondary wave of propagation outside the U.S. The rise of the #FilmYourHospital conspiracy from a single tweet demonstrates the ongoing challenge of addressing false, viral information during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the spread of misinformation can be potentially mitigated by fact-checking and directing people to credible sources of information from public health agencies, false and misleading claims that are driven by politics and supported by strong convictions and not science are much harder to root out.

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The role of social media in delivering news related to the COVID-19 pandemic: Moroccan community as a case study

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/202111907007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 119 ◽

pp. 07007

Author(s):

Nezha Mejjad ◽

Hanane Yaagoubi ◽

Mourad Gourmaj ◽

Aniss Moumen ◽

Nabil Chakhchaoui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Best Practices ◽

Survey Questionnaire ◽

Fake News ◽

Rapid Spread ◽

Shared Information ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Source Of Information

The study aims to assess the Moroccan community’s using rate of social media, especially during the imposed lockdown, and analyze how the community is using and exploring the news published on Facebook. In this order, we prepared and shared a survey questionnaire among Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp users. The obtained responses exhibit that only 5% of respondents share the news immediately without verifying the source, while 54 % share news only after verifying the source; the rest did not prefer to share COVID-19 related news. This may reflect the awareness level of the sampled population about the importance of verifying the source of information before sharing it, especially during such conditions. However, 64% of participants think that Social Media platforms are not sufficient and appropriate to warn and inform the population about this sanitary crisis as not all Moroccan citizens have access to the internet and do not use social media. Besides, the COVID-19 period has known a rapid spread of misinformation and fake news through these platforms, impacting community mental health. Although, it is recommended to consider warning people about the best practices and use of shared information through these platforms

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Trends and Predictors of COVID-19 Information Sources and Their Relationship With Knowledge and Beliefs Related to the Pandemic: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance ◽

10.2196/21071 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. e21071 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shahmir H Ali ◽

Joshua Foreman ◽

Yesim Tozan ◽

Ariadna Capasso ◽

Abbey M Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Information Sources ◽

Information Source ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mainstream Media ◽

Knowledge And Beliefs ◽

Government Websites ◽

The Impact ◽

Source Of Information

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a heightened need to understand health information seeking behaviors to address disparities in knowledge and beliefs about the crisis. Objective This study assessed sociodemographic predictors of the use and trust of different COVID-19 information sources, as well as the association between information sources and knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among US adults in two rounds during March and April 2020 using advertisement-based recruitment on social media. Participants were asked about their use of 11 different COVID-19 information sources as well as their most trusted source of information. The selection of COVID-related knowledge and belief questions was based on past empirical literature and salient concerns at the time of survey implementation. Results The sample consisted of 11,242 participants. When combined, traditional media sources (television, radio, podcasts, or newspapers) were the largest sources of COVID-19 information (91.2%). Among those using mainstream media sources for COVID-19 information (n=7811, 69.5%), popular outlets included CNN (24.0%), Fox News (19.3%), and other local or national networks (35.2%). The largest individual information source was government websites (87.6%). They were also the most trusted source of information (43.3%), although the odds of trusting government websites were lower among males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.53-0.63) and those aged 40-59 years and ≥60 years compared to those aged 18-39 years (AOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74-0.92; AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.71). Participants used an average of 6.1 sources (SD 2.3). Participants who were male, aged 40-59 years or ≥60 years; not working, unemployed, or retired; or Republican were likely to use fewer sources while those with children and higher educational attainment were likely to use more sources. Participants surveyed in April were markedly less likely to use (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.46) and trust (AOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.47-0.56) government sources. The association between information source and COVID-19 knowledge was mixed, while many COVID-19 beliefs were significantly predicted by information source; similar trends were observed with reliance on different types of mainstream media outlets. Conclusions COVID-19 information source was significantly determined by participant sociodemographic characteristics and was also associated with both knowledge and beliefs about the pandemic. Study findings can help inform COVID-19 health communication campaigns and highlight the impact of using a variety of different and trusted information sources.

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Fake News Debunking and Counteractions – the Bulgarian Experience

21st Century Media and Communications ◽

10.54664/ppov8363 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nadezhda Miteva ◽

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Main Tool ◽

Media Content ◽

Project Leader ◽

Fake News ◽

Media Environment ◽

Alternative Facts ◽

Fact Checking

Careful and thorough fact-checking is a main tool for counteracting fake news, alternative facts and the context created in the Post-Truth Era. This paper examines the contemporary fact-checking mechanisms in the Bulgarian media environment. The methods applied are data analysis, interviews with proffessional journalists, a survey among media content users, and a case study. The research ws cnducted within the framework of the DCOST Project 01/10 – 04.07.2017 (project leader Prof. Lilia Raycheva), supported by the National Scientific Fund of Bulgaria, and developed within the Europpean Commission‘s Action IS 1404: Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digitization (E-READ).

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Countertransference in the Rorschach Situation as a Clue to the Patient’s Affective Functioning

Rorschachiana Journal of the International Society for the Rorschach ◽

10.1027/1192-5604/a000032 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 125-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emilie Deschenaux ◽

Serge Lecours ◽

Julie Doyon ◽

Rachel Briand-Malenfant

Keyword(s):

Interpersonal Communication ◽

Affect Regulation ◽

Projective Identification ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Affective Experience ◽

Mental Functioning ◽

External Agent ◽

Emotional Events ◽

Source Of Information ◽

Do So

The Rorschach inkblot method (RIM) is a procedure that challenges an individual’s capacities for regulating affective experience. An individual who cannot self-regulate and needs an external agent to do so will find the Rorschach task particularly difficult. Distress is a manifestation of self-regulating difficulties which can lead to interpersonal regulation. Projective identification is a mechanism for regulating intense affects which has been linked with countertransference, and has been defined as the reactions and manifestations in the person of the analyst to the contents projected into him by the patient. Therefore, the clinician’s reactions to his patient are now considered important sources of information about the patient’s mental functioning. In the present study, we empirically evaluated the examiner’s experience and CS variables related to affect regulation, in order to see if it can be used as a source of information about the mental functioning of patients. A sample of 30 participants were administered the Rorschach, and both participants and examiners self-reported their affective experience of the Rorschach situation with the PANAS-m. We found that the emotional experiences of the examinee that have the strongest impact on the examiner (hostile, overwhelmed-invaded, emptied) seem to possess a specific quality. They appear to consist of important aspects of the experience of distress (overwhelmed-invaded and emptied), with hostile features. When looking at CS variables, affect regulation linked variables were found to be generally unrelated to the examiner’s affective experience during the administration of the RIM, except for the affective ratio (Afr), which appeared to be somewhat protective of an interpersonal communication of sadness and emptiness. However, indicators of self and interpersonal perceptions from the CS were found to be quite strongly related to the examiner’s experience during the administration: Morbid content (MOR) and aggressive movement (AG). Thus, a reduced interest in emotional events, a pessimistic view of the self and the anticipation of aggressive exchanges with others appear to be associated with a tendency to regulate painful affects or distress interpersonally.

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