World Economic Forum and United Nations attempt to combat the spread of misinformation

BY PAUL JUNOR

There was an interesting article by the World Economic Forum titled “There is no Vaccine for the Infodemic – so how can we combat the virus of misinformation.” It seeks to draw attention to the issue of “infodemic” which according to the WHO results from the spread of false information about the Coronavirus. This article is part of the COVID Action Platform, which can be seen at the website: weforum.org/platforms/covid-action-platform.

The website describes the work of the WEF as the International Organization for Police-Private Cooperation, which is mobilizing all stakeholders to protect lives and livelihoods. The WEF believes that in order to tackle the disease of infodemic, especially with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community.

The three priorities of the WEF’s mission are:

1. Galvanizing the global business community for collective action
2. Protect people’s livelihood and facilitate business community
3. Mobilize cooperation and business cooperation for the COVID-19 response

The WEF sees itself as playing an active role in the fields of media, entertainment and sports. In order to counteract the spread of misinformation, the WEF is determined to counteract the notion that the pandemic is in fact a plandemic. It believes that there is an important question that needs to be answered. The question is, “What can be done to combat dangerous misinformation in a world where social media is increasingly where most of us get so much of our information, and where we value freedom of speech as a cornerstone of democracy.”

Melissa Fleming, global communication lead of the United Nations states, “When COVID-19 emerged it was clear from the outset this was not just a public health emergency but a communications crisis as well.” Melissa started “Verified ” where anyone can sign up to receive daily emails on the most updated and current information about the COVID-19 virus from authoritative sources. She is particularly concerned that information be presented in a way that is amenable to social media platforms. She notes, “It is front-and-center in your social media feeds. So it can compete with the slick misinformation content.”

The UN is front and centre in the disinformation campaign. Fleming is supportive of this as the UN tries to reach out to social media influencers to get them on board. Melissa notes, “So far, we’re recruited information volunteers, and we equip these information volunteers with the kind of knowledge about how misinformation spreads and asks them to serve as a kind of “digital first responder’ in those spaces where misinformation travels.”

Mark Little, journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of Storyful told World vs. Virus, that “I’ve started to see the spread of misinformation as the global health crisis. Misinformation is a serious threat to our society. If people cannot trust information about the critical challenge in our world today, whether it’s coronavirus or climate change, then we cannot make reasoned decisions as a democracy.”

Little is wary of attempts at censorship, which potentially subvert freedom of speech. Actions should be done to provide individuals with the tools to distinguish fact from fiction and learn the importance of media literacy. Leslyn Lewis has expressed concerns. In an email communication on Wednesday, August 24^th, she writes, “The United Nations is fuelling a misinformation campaign that they cleverly disguise as a war on conspiracy theories. The UN’s target is you, the citizen.”

She is concerned that these global organizations are working to transform our way of life.