Celebrities Are Boosting Disinformation About Covid-19 – OpEd – Eurasia Review

While social media operates on the attention logic, those with many followers have a higher potential to escalate issues. Celebrities began sharing information about the pandemic, but not all stars play the same role. Some inform and motivate the public about vaccinations, while others disseminate disinformation content to their followers.

After the outbreak of the pandemic, some celebrities began spreading disinformation about the crisis. A May 2021 research study found that only 12 stars are behind most joke content, which produces about 65% of the content; The content contained claims denying the existence of Covid-19 or promoting false cures. Facebook responded by saying more content was being shared from those accounts, while Twitter permanently banned two of the accounts. In some cases, some of these celebrities misinform the public by mixing their personal views and speculation with facts. For example, Madonna, the well-known singer and actress with 15 million Instagram followers, claimed the vaccine existed but it was hidden to let fear control people. Some malicious actors even decided to use celebrity power to spread false information about Covid-19. In July 2021, a news report revealed a London-based marketing company attempting to pay some of the influencers in exchange for sharing disinformation content. The company provided them with lists of dubious articles and sources claiming that the Pfizer vaccine is dangerous.

But celebrities also play a positive role. They involuntarily share correct information about the crisis by posting their vaccination photos to motivate their followers. In other cases, they are hired by governments and corporations. For example, Biden’s administration planned to use celebrities to combat vaccine hesitancy. In the UK, the NHS listed sane celebrities to persuade the public to get vaccinated, and pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca also used the power of celebrities to sway the public about the vaccine.

Celebrities will continue to play an important role in this ongoing crisis. Tech companies should work more to monitor the shared Covid-related content; Media literacy groups should design materials that help the public not blindly follow celebrity content. Health information organizations should work directly with celebrities to provide them with the latest information and facts about the pandemic.