Misinformation tactics in Indian elections and more
We have some exciting news: Meedan's Health Desk is now hosting content from an alliance of trusted science organizations, through the new Vaccine Media Hub. The Hub brings together quotes, explainers and media briefings from scientists in Germany, the UK, New Zealand, Kenya and the United States, co-led by the Australian Science Media Centre. It is the first time all of these organizations have been able to work together in a comprehensive way to help journalists and fact-checkers report on the science of COVID-19 vaccines.
We're thrilled to be able to offer this new resource to partners. As always, don't forget to ask our in-house scientists your health fact-checking questions. We'll send you bespoke, deadline-friendly science explainers.
Today we have a packed news roundup for you. People are working to curb vaccine misinformation among the Amazon's indigenous populations, Malaysia's new 'fake news' law is being criticized and researchers are looking at online attacks against Maria Ressa.
Happy reading, subscribers!
The latest top stories
State-led and coordinated: ICFJ dives into online attacks vs Maria Ressa (Rappler)
The International Center for Journalists on Monday, March 8, released pivotal research on online violence against journalists, focusing on the case of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.
The first-of-its-kind case study – done through the collaboration of ICFJ, the University of Sheffield, and Rappler – utilized deep-dive interviews and analyzed hundreds of thousands of Twitter and Facebook posts directed at Ressa from 2016, when President Rodrigo Duterte took power, to 2021.
“We wanted to be able to provide evidence to underscore her lived experience of brutal online trolling, incited by the state, that fuels her persecution and prosecution....The data shows us how authoritarian politics, networked misogyny, platform capture, and viral disinformation work together to try to silence journalists and manufacture consensus.” - Co-author Julie Posetti, Global Director of Research at ICFJ
No AM, campanha combate desinformação e 'fake news' sobre vacinação contra a Covid entre indígenas (Globo)
A campaign by the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) aims to combat misinformation and the spread of fake news about COVID-19 vaccines among indigenous peoples in the Amazon. In all, six audio pieces were produced by the organization warning about the spread of false information.
“According to the Foundation, the concern with ensuring the immunization of indigenous populations is motivated by alarming data. The mortality rate for Covid-19 among indigenous people in the Legal Amazon is 150% higher than the national average, according to an analysis made by the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations in the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) and the Amazon Research Institute (Ipam)."
Twitter launches multi-lingual ‘info prompt’ ahead of Assembly elections (The Hindu)
Ahead of assembly elections in five Indian states, Twitter announced a series of multi-lingual initiatives with the Election Commission of India and other civil society organizations to tackle election-related misinformation and to provide reliable voting information. These include a dedicated information search prompt’ in six languages, a youth discussion series named ‘DemocracyAdda’, a custom emoji to encourage participation and and a series of pre-bunks and de-bunks to tackle election-related misinformation.
“With the Assembly Elections 2021 taking place in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry, [We have] announced a series of initiatives focused on encouraging informed and healthy conversations between candidates, political parties, citizens, media, and society,” the company said in a statement.
Malaysia’s brand-new “fake news” law is built to silence dissent (Rest of World)
Malaysia's new fake news law is viewed by activists, journalists and political opposition as a move to silence free speech and dissent. The government led by Muhyiddin Yassin claimed it to be a necessary measure to control the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, the government declared a state of emergency and suspended the parliament till August.
“The government is systematically silencing public and political scrutiny, and this latest ordinance is yet another weapon in its arsenal, enabling it to extend this culture of censorship. It appears that the intention behind this emergency ordinance is not countering misinformation but to avoid public scrutiny over the government’s actions and to stifle dissent,” said Nalini Elumalai, program officer for Malaysia with free speech campaign group Article 19
Meedan Updates
Insights from Meedan's first health misinformation workshop with Article 19
Meedan held the first of a series of workshops organized in partnership with Article 19, bringing together 55 journalists from six newsrooms and media organizations in four African countries to collaborate and learn more about health misinformation.
The participants were drawn from the Centre For Innovation and Technology (CITE) in Zimbabwe, GhanaFact in Ghana, Defy Hate Now in South Sudan, and Debunk Media, Pamoja FM and the Africa Women’s Journalism Project in Kenya.