AllSides Balanced Search reveals information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so you can get the full picture.
Apr 11 2020
News
Why uncertainty about coronavirus breeds opportunity for misinformation
Americans right now face a dual challenge: to protect themselves and others from the new illness COVID-19, which is highly contagious and potentially deadly, as well as from the dangers of misinformation about the virus.
Because so much is still unknown about the disease, disseminating perfectly accurate information about its spread and symptoms has proved challenging for public health
PBS NewsHour
Mar 05 2021
News
Controlling the spread of misinformation
Misinformation on COVID-19 is so pervasive that even some patients dying from the disease still say it’s a hoax. In March 2020, nearly 30% of U.S. adults believed the Chinese government created the coronavirus as a bioweapon (Social Science & Medicine, Vol. 263, 2020) and in June, a quarter believed the outbreak was intentionally planned by people in power (Pew Research Center, 2020).
American Psychological Association
May 03 2020
Background
Fighting misinformation during a pandemic
Fact-checking and verification were already crucial skills for journalists before the COVID-19 pandemic came along, thanks in part to the rise of Donald Trump and the alt-right’s weaponization of social media. But the coronavirus has made fact-checking and filtering skills even more important, as trolls traffic in rumors about how drinking bleach or taking megadoses of vitamin C can cure the
Columbia Journalism Review
Sep 29 2021
News
YouTube expands ban on vaccine misinformation
YouTube on Wednesday said it was expanding it policies around medical misinformation to ban content about vaccines that "poses a serious risk of egregious harm." The video giant already prohibited misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, but the updated polices cover all "currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective" by local health agencies and
CNET
Aug 07 2022
Perspectives Blog
Is Breitbart Fake News? Does it Spread Misinformation?
Is Breitbart (Right bias) “fake news?” What constitutes as propaganda, fake news, or misinformation is a major point of contention among the left and right. Media outlets that favor the political left or right may repeat claims or stories that suit their worldview and agenda. To some, this can constitute “fake news” — especially if they disagree with what is published.
Related: Red-
Antonio Ferme
Mar 15 2021
News
6 things we’ve learned from a year of misinformation about the coronavirus
One year ago, Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The NBA suspended its season. About 1,000 Americans were infected, and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.
Today, more than 500,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19. The country is recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Schools and colleges, many
Poynter
Mar 01 2021
News
Twitter Takes Aim At Coronavirus Vaccine Misinformation With New Labels, Strike System
Twitter will attach warning labels to posts that contain misleading information about coronavirus vaccines and introduce a strike system for repeat offenders, the tech giant announced Monday, as the company tries to combat the circulation of misinformation. Twitter employees will initially be charged with labeling posts they determine violate Twitter policy, and their decisions will be used to
Forbes
Jul 26 2022
Analysis
Misinformation is eroding the public’s confidence in democracy
Democracy in the United States is in serious trouble. A review of some recent public opinion research shows just how much.
For example, an NPR survey conducted earlier this year found that 64% of the American population believes that U.S. democracy is in crisis and is at risk of failing. A strong indication that the situation is getting worse and not better is that over 70% of
Brookings Institution
Oct 07 2020
Analysis
After contracting COVID-19, Trump was dinged by platforms for spreading coronavirus misinformation
This edition of Coronavirus Facts is coming to you a day early because… well… *gestures broadly* all of this. First, White House staffers began testing positive for COVID-19, then President Donald Trump did as well, and ended up spending the weekend at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Misinformation spread quickly about Trump’s condition. There was the claim that he was being deliberately
Poynter
Apr 22 2020
Analysis
Some Americans Are Misinformed About The Coronavirus. How Responsible Is The Media?
Should you wear a mask when you go out in public? Yes, according to revised guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But at one of President Trump’s daily press briefings, he said that “It’s only a recommendation,” adding, “I don’t think I am going to be doing it.” What about taking hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, to fight COVID-19? The Food and Drug
FiveThirtyEight