Coronavirus: Study Shows More Than A Quarter of Most-Viewed Coronavirus YouTube Videos Have Misleading Claims
A study has revealed quite 1 / 4 of the first widely viewed COVID-19 English-language videos on YouTube ‘containing false or misleading information.’ Coronavirus
Experts, whose research was published in BMJ Global Health, cautioned that fake COVID-19 news reaches much more people than in any previous pandemic, potentially causing serious harm.
YouTube may be a “help and obstacle” within the data checking.
DailyMail said top quality and reliable information is usually available on YouTube, given by government agencies and experts. However, the info is usually hard to understand and lacks general appeal – meaning it doesn’t reach those sorts of needs, the researchers said.
Past work has shown that YouTube was both a help and an obstacle in earlier public health crises – for instance, during the swine influenza pandemic and, therefore, the outbreaks of Ebola and Zika.
But, after those studies were written, the rapid proliferation of social media has changed the equation, the researchers cautioned.
The researchers examined the first commonly viewed COVID-19 videos as of March 21 to undertake to supply a more current evaluation of the accuracy of the consistency of coronavirus knowledge on YouTube.
After narrowing the range right down to 69 videos, the researchers used a specially developed rating system to work out the reliability and consistency of every.
This so-called COVID-19 specific score was awarded for exclusively factual information on the viral spread, typical symptoms, prevention, possible treatments, and epidemiology.
Professional and agency videos scored above the other measure for accuracy, usability, and quality. On the opposite hand, they didn’t feature prominently among top viewing figures.
Network news accounted for the very best proportion of views by 29% – led by 22% of users, 21% of entertainment news, and 12% of Internet news.
Newspapers accounted for less than five percent of the views reported. As compared, government agencies and academic institutions registered only two percent each.
More than 70% of the videos contained only factual information. Still, quite one out of four-27.5% – had misleading or inaccurate information, representing quite 62 million views, or around 1 / 4 of the entire.
The fake news identified by the team included claims that pharmaceutical companies have a cure but refuse to sell it, conspiracy theories, and discriminatory remarks.
Alarming results
Study lead author and medico Heidi Oi-Yee Li of the University of Ottawa in Canada noted the particularly alarming results when considering the immense viewership of those videos.
“While the facility of social media lies within the sheer volume and variety of data being generated and spread, it’s significant potential for harm,” she told DailyMail.
According to Li, the education and engagement of the general public are paramount within the management of this pandemic by ensuring public understanding and adherence to public health measures.
The researchers suggest working with news companies or social media influencers to ‘jazz up’ their digital content to draw in and have interaction with a way more extensive audience.
“YouTube may be a powerful, untapped educational tool that ought to be better mobilized by health professionals,’ Miss Li said.”
Many existing marketing strategies are static within the sort of published guidelines, statistical reports, and infographics, Li acknowledged. These might not be as appealing or accessible to the overall public, she added.
