scholarly journals Perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of science journalists: global perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (07) ◽  
pp. A06
Author(s):  
Luisa Massarani ◽  
Luiz Felipe Fernandes Neves ◽  
Marta Entradas ◽  
Tim Lougheed ◽  
Martin W. Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
World Regions ◽  
The Impact

The article presents the results of a survey of science journalists from six world regions about their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The responses show perception of increasing workload for most participants. Local scientists and peer-reviewed articles are the main sources. According to the respondents, scientists have become more available during the pandemic. The use of preprint articles was a frequent practice, but a considerable proportion declared they did not adopt different procedures when reporting them. Most also said they take fake news into account when writing their stories.

Identity concerns drive belief: The impact of partisan identity on the belief and dissemination of true and false news

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Pereira ◽  
Jay Joseph Van Bavel ◽  
Elizabeth Ann Harris
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political System ◽  
Political Identity ◽  
Social Goals ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Political Beliefs ◽  
System P ◽  
False News ◽  
Democrats And Republicans ◽  
The Impact

Political misinformation, often called “fake news”, represents a threat to our democracies because it impedes citizens from being appropriately informed. Evidence suggests that fake news spreads more rapidly than real news—especially when it contains political content. The present article tests three competing theoretical accounts that have been proposed to explain the rise and spread of political (fake) news: (1) the ideology hypothesis— people prefer news that bolsters their values and worldviews; (2) the confirmation bias hypothesis—people prefer news that fits their pre-existing stereotypical knowledge; and (3) the political identity hypothesis—people prefer news that allows their political in-group to fulfill certain social goals. We conducted three experiments in which American participants read news that concerned behaviors perpetrated by their political in-group or out-group and measured the extent to which they believed the news (Exp. 1, Exp. 2, Exp. 3), and were willing to share the news on social media (Exp. 2 and 3). Results revealed that Democrats and Republicans were both more likely to believe news about the value-upholding behavior of their in-group or the value-undermining behavior of their out-group, supporting a political identity hypothesis. However, although belief was positively correlated with willingness to share on social media in all conditions, we also found that Republicans were more likely to believe and want to share apolitical fake new. We discuss the implications for theoretical explanations of political beliefs and application of these concepts in in polarized political system.

scholarly journals The Impact of “Manipulated News” on Student Attitudes and Perceptions and Their Participation in the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110197
Author(s):  
Chesca Ka Po Wong ◽  
Runping Zhu ◽  
Richard Krever ◽  
Alfred Siu Choi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use

While the impact of fake news on viewers, particularly marginalized media users, has been a cause of growing concern, there has been little attention paid to the phenomenon of deliberately “manipulated” news published on social media by mainstream news publishers. Using qualitative content analysis and quantitative survey research, this study showed that consciously biased animated news videos released in the midst of the Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong impacted on both the attitudes of students and their participation in the protests. The findings raise concerns over potential use of the format by media owners to promote their preferred ideologies.

Cancer patients’ awareness about clinical research in the era of social media and “fake news”: Preliminary results from ELPIS Study.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24121-e24121
Author(s):  
Celeste Cagnazzo ◽  
Veronica Franchina ◽  
Giuseppe Toscano ◽  
Franca Fagioli ◽  
Tindara Franchina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Experimental Therapy ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Trial Participation ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Patient Awareness ◽  
The Impact

e24121 Background: Barriers for low recruitment in clinical trials have been classified based on three main sources: physician, patient, system. A primary role is played by a low patient awareness, which often leads to a lack of confidence in science and a substantial inability to estimate the benefits deriving from trial participation, aggravated by the spread of fake news. A prospective observational study was conducted to investigate the views of cancer patients on aspects of clinical research, their expectations, the level of comprehensibility of informed consent and the impact of the fake news phenomenon. Methods: From January 2018, after Ethics Committees approval, the ELPIS study was initiated in 9 Italian Medical Oncology Units. After signing the informed consent, patients were asked to complete a questionnaire, consisting of a set of multiple choice and Likert-score questions. Results: As of January 2021, 115 patients were enrolled, with a balanced sex distribution and a prevalence of subjects older than 55-years (79.8%). Regarding the previous knowledge about clinical research, the average score was 3.9 (range 1-5). The vast majority of respondents (91.3%) had already started experimental therapy and many of them constantly used internet (65.2%) and social networks (34.8%). More than half (53.9%) stated the interview with the physician was sufficient for a full understanding of informed consent. In case of doubt, the majority seeked support in the clinician (39.1%) while very few (1.7%) relied on the web. The average score attributed to doctor-patient relationship was equal to 8.89 (range 1-10). Respondents were quite confident in their ability to independently search for information on their disease, discriminate fake news and identify reliable sites (average score 3.26, 3.27, 3.09 respectively, over a range of 1-5). The scores related to the presumed ability to understand the results of a clinical study and to actively collaborate to produce research were high (average score 4.72 and 4.39 over a range of 1-5). Conclusions: Preliminary data from our research show a good level of patient awareness and a fine ability to understand information, discerning real from fake news. Continuing and implementing the training initiatives of the population in the health sector will certainly contribute to further improvement, hopefully obtaining an even greater involvement of patients in the early phases of research.

Fake news on Facebook: examining the impact of heuristic cues on perceived credibility and sharing intention

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khudejah Ali ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
Khawaja Zain-ul-abdin ◽  
Muhammad Adeel Zaffar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Credibility ◽  
News Credibility ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Active Processing

PurposeAs the epidemic of online fake news is causing major concerns in contexts such as politics and public health, the current study aimed to elucidate the effect of certain “heuristic cues,” or key contextual features, which may increase belief in the credibility and the subsequent sharing of online fake news.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a 2 (news veracity: real vs fake) × 2 (social endorsements: low Facebook “likes” vs high Facebook “likes”) between-subjects experimental design (N = 239).FindingsThe analysis revealed that a high number of Facebook “likes” accompanying fake news increased the perceived credibility of the material compared to a low number of “likes.” In addition, the mediation results indicated that increased perceptions of news credibility may create a situation in which readers feel that it is necessary to cognitively elaborate on the information present in the news, and this active processing finally leads to sharing.Practical implicationsThe results from this study help explicate what drives increased belief and sharing of fake news and can aid in refining interventions aimed at combating fake news for both communities and organizations.Originality/valueThe current study expands upon existing literature, linking the use of social endorsements to perceived credibility of fake news and information, and sheds light on the causal mechanisms through which people make the decision to share news articles on social media.

scholarly journals People’s Life and Psychological Change after Quarantining Wuhan: Influence of the Epidemic of Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Qi Chen ◽  
Yan Yu ◽  
Hui Yao ◽  
Sirong Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Physiological Response ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Web Survey ◽  
Psychological Change ◽  
Self Protection ◽  
The Impact

The epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) has brought many changes to people's life. This study aims to analysis Chinese people's psychological change and life after quarantining Wuhan and explore the influencing factors. Based on data from a web-survey after quarantining Wuhan (N=3268), the principal-component-analysis (PCA), multiple-linear-regression (MLR), propensity-score-matching (PSM) were used to explore the psychological change of people in China and the influencing factors. 83.3% of the respondents said that the impact of the epidemic on their life had increased after quarantining Wuhan. A considerable proportion of people's anxiety increased, being reflected in negative emotion, behavioral response and physiological response. The proportion of people who said their anxiety had increased in Wuhan was higher than that in other regions (p <0.05). The anxiety of people who were in medical isolation increased less than those who were not (p <0.05). All three aspects of people’s anxiety were positively related with time of medical isolation and degree of the attention on the epidemic (p＜0.05) except the effect of attention degree on the physiological response (p＝0.06). The measure of medical isolation at home should be advocated. Yet people should reduce the concern for the epidemic while paying attention to self-protection.

scholarly journals The Dangers of Hoaxes in Building Civil Society in the Era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0

2021 ◽  
pp. 117-138
Author(s):  
Muhamad Basitur Rijal Gus Rijal ◽  
Ahyani Hisam ◽  
Abdul Basit
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Free Speech ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
The Public ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Ideal

Civil society (civil society) as the ideal structure of society's life that is aspired to, but building a civil society is not easy. There are preconditions that must be met by the community in making it happen. Coupled with technological advances in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.o like today, where information can spread easily through various online media unlimitedly in spreading hoaxes. This research seeks to uncover the dangers of hoaxes in building civil society. This research uses descriptive analytical method by examining the sources of literature related to building civil society in the Industrial Revolution 4.o. This research found that the public space is a means of free speech; democratic behavior; tolerant; pluralism; and social justice can shape civil society. whereas the impact of hoax news greatly affects the way people perceive a certain issue, so that people cannot distinguish which news is real or fake news which causes them to be incited by fake news that is spread.

scholarly journals Effects of agricultural credit on wheat productivity of small farms in Sindh, Pakistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 592-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Ali Chandio ◽  
Yuansheng Jiang ◽  
Feng Wei ◽  
Xu Guangshun
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Agricultural Credit ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of short-term loan (STL) vs long-term loan (LTL) on wheat productivity of small farms in Sindh, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The econometric estimation is based on cross-sectional data collected in 2016 from 18 villages in three districts, i.e. Shikarpur, Sukkur and Shaheed Benazirabad, Sindh, Pakistan. The sample data set consist of 180 wheat farmers. The collected data were analyzed through different econometric techniques like Cobb–Douglas production function and Instrumental variables (two-stage least squares) approach. Findings This study reconfirmed that agricultural credit has a positive and highly significant effect on wheat productivity, while the short-term loan has a stronger effect on wheat productivity than the long-term loan. The reasons behind the phenomenon may be the significantly higher usage of agricultural inputs like seeds of improved variety and fertilizers which can be transformed into the wheat yield in the same year. However, the LTL users have significantly higher investments in land preparation, irrigation and plant protection, which may lead to higher wheat production in the coming years. Research limitations/implications In the present study, only those wheat farmers were considered who obtained agricultural loans from formal financial institutions like Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited and Khushhali Bank. However, in the rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan, a considerable proportion of small-scale farmers take credit from informal financial channels. Therefore future researchers should consider the informal credits as well. Originality/value This is the first paper to examine the effects of agricultural credit on wheat productivity of small farms in Sindh, Pakistan. This paper will be an important addition to the emerging literature regarding effects of credit studies.

The impact of the information factor on modern international relations

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (01) ◽  
pp. 141-146
Author(s):  
Gulnaz Tahir Hasanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Information Warfare ◽  
Fake News ◽  
False Information ◽  
Fifth Dimension ◽  
Private Actors ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to highlight the growing strategic importance that cyberspace is gaining in the dynamics of international politics. After land, sea, air, and outer space, cyberspace is the fifth dimension of conflict. The type of non-military weapons used to fight, as well as the subjects targeted, make civilian systems new centers of gravity to defend against an enemy that most often "operates in the shadows." The international scenario rmation revolution (which contributed to the "democratization of information"), is radically evolving from a unipolar (American-led) to an almost multipolar architecture. The Internet today is an indispensable communication and information network for various legal and illegal subjects of international relations. Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Telegram) play a very important role in this process. The Internet can also allow manipulation or even destabilization of the international community with the spread of false information (fake news). It is also a field for intelligence activities. Finally, the Internet is becoming the field of a new form of confrontation. Thus, both states and private actors protect themselves from possible cyber attacks by developing cybersecurity. In anticipation of this, states are developing cyberspace strategies and military-digital capabilities. Key words: international relations, information, cyberspace, cybersecurity, territorial integrity, state, subjects of international relations, information warfare

“Ridiculous and Untrue – FAKE NEWS!”

2019 ◽  
pp. 138-151
Author(s):  
Anna Grazulis ◽  
Ryan Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Fake News ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Trump Administration

Beyond the spread of fake news, the term “fake news” has been used by people on social media and by people in the Trump administration to discredit reporting and show disagreement with the content of a story. This study offers a series of defining traits of fake news and a corresponding experiment testing its impact. Overall, this study shows that fake news, or at least labeling fake news can impact the gratifications people derive from news. Further, this study provides evidence that the impact of fake news might, in some cases, rely on whether or not the fake news complies with preexisting beliefs.

scholarly journals Care Dependency in Non-Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anouk W. Vaes ◽  
Felipe V.C. Machado ◽  
Roy Meys ◽  
Jeannet M. Delbressine ◽  
Yvonne M.J. Goertz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Level Of Care ◽  
Personal Care ◽  
Persistent Symptoms ◽  
Care Dependency ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background: A large sample of “mild” COVID-19 patients still experience multiple symptoms months after being infected. These persistent symptoms are associated with many clinically relevant outcomes, including poor health status and impaired functional status. To date, no information is available about care dependency. Therefore, we aimed to explore the level of care dependency and the need for assistance with personal care in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: Members of two Facebook groups for COVID-19 patients with persistent complaints in The Netherlands and Belgium, and from a panel of people who registered at a website of the Lung Foundation Netherlands, were assessed for demographics, pre-existing comorbidities, health status, and symptoms. In addition, patients were asked about their dependence on others for personal care before and after the infection. The level of care dependency was assessed with the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) in members of the Belgian Facebook group (n = 210). Results: The data of 1837 non-hospitalized patients (86% women; median (IQR) age: 47 (38–54)) were analyzed. Only a small proportion of patients needed help with personal care before COVID-19, but the care need increased significantly after the infection (on average 79 ± 17 days after the onset of symptoms; 7.7% versus 52.4%, respectively; p < 0.05). The patients had a median (IQR) CDS score of 72 (67–75) points, and 31% of the patients were considered as care-dependent (CDS score ≤ 68 points). Conclusions: COVID-19 has an important impact on care dependency in non-hospitalized patients. About three months after the onset of symptoms, a considerable proportion of non-hospitalized patients were to some degree dependent on others for personal care. This indicates that the impact of COVID-19 on patients’ daily lives is tremendous, and more attention is needed to identify optimal treatment strategies to restore patients’ independency.

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