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Virus misinformation fuels panic in Asia

32 Comments
By Rachel BLUNDY and Spencer FEINGOLD

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32 Comments
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If Governments around the world would tell the truth about CoronaVirus and the statistics and the honest situation in each country, there would not be any mis-information to begin with.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

The problem is not so much some people originating false information, that will always happen, for malice or plain stupidity. The real problem is people that simply repeat every piece of trash they find and end up multiplying its effect.

There are simply too may people that never stop to think for one second if what they are seeing or reading makes sense or if it comes from a reliable source. This is not a new problem, but at times like this it becomes a very important one.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

No one is forcing anyone to feast on bovine excrement. The problem is not the BS, it's the idiots who lap it up.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

A deluge of online misinformation and hoaxes during the coronavirus crisis is stoking fear and confusion across Asia, where violators of lockdown rules can face jail and hefty fines in some countries.

Misinformation, hoaxes, conspiracy theories? Asia doesn't hold a candle to what emanates from Trump's Twitter account....

6 ( +8 / -2 )

@WilliB

"If you looked outside CNN et al, you would know that hydroxycholoriquine is quite sucessful if used correctly. Get an idea why your echo chamber is dangerous?"

Ok, here's some quotes from Fox News:

~

"...A study of hospitalized coronavirus patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine – the drug President Trump said he has been taking daily for about two weeks to stave off infection – as well as chloroquine, another drug recently touted as a possible COVID-19 antidote, found an increased risk of death associated with both medications..."

(Source: - https://www.foxnews.com/health/hydroxychloroquine-chloroquine-linked-to-increased-risk-of-death-in-hospitalized-coronavirus-patients-study-finds )

~

"...A large study of more than 1,400 COVID-19 patients has revealed the controversial coronavirus treatment hydroxychloroquine yielded no benefits for the people involved in the research..."

(Source: - https://www.foxnews.com/science/hydroxychloroquine-no-benefits-seriously-ill-coronavirus-patients )

 

Do you understand why your opinion is incorrect and dangerous? 

As for that other troll that was going on about others posting links and quotes to news sources, I suspect they were of the ilk that simply posted their own (misinformed) opinions and didn't even bother to source or cite any evidence for their claims. As for the rest of us, we'll continue to share the facts of the matter, with evidence.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

All countries are being fed BS

Please post links to the truth.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Excuse me, asia in any single country do not have 100,659 deaths like usa. Who is having misinformation ???.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

That is what many posters are doing here on JT. Especially the fear mongering ones.

Monty. To be fair, those who dismiss Convid-19 is like the seasonal flu are just the same.

All countries are being fed BS, constantly being told "be scared, give up your rights, hide, don't interact with others, wait for our expensive and dangerous meds,..." Most people are getting poorer, while those who are controlling the narrative and getting richer.

See. Another example of misinformation.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

@Monty

"And if they can't find enough satisfactory answers from official sources, they'll start to look elsewhere."

That is what many posters are doing here on JT. Especially the fear mongering ones.

Jumping from one website to another just to proove their points. (Sometimes I am wondering how they found those websites)

Instead of jumping around the internet or any other news, they better should look around them and see the reality!

In order to form an objective, clear image and an opinion, people actually should "jump from one website to another, rather than just trusting one source they have chosen to be their favourite one. Moreover, the more non-commercial, scientific and academic sources from multiple countries people are checking and referring to, the better. I recommend finding these e.g. via Google Scholar. Source criticism is vital.

You will not learn enough about this virus and you will not know everything that is necessary just by 'looking around', as what you see really depends on where you are, who's around you and what your choices cause the social media services to 'feed' you.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Intentionally causing needless pain and suffering should be a punishable crime.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I think "Minds" is an alternative to Fakebook, without Zuckerbergs political censorship.

Finally! WilliB recommend a website he uses! Minds, you say? Well, let’s just take a quick look at

A social network described as the "anti-Facebook" has become a haven for neo-Nazis connected to militant hate groups, Motherboard has found.

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wjvp8y/minds-the-anti-facebook-has-no-idea-what-to-do-about-all-the-neo-nazis

Oh. Now I see why you like it. Going to recommend Gab, next?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It's been interesting to watch the internet change from a place where curious people with some money to buy a computer built things and discovered things in the mid 1990's from a small steam of information, to a place now where every idiot with a phone has turned it into a giant ocean of poop.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And the medias are happy!

Not always, but sure - the more clicks, the more traffic, the more advertising revenue.

So, if someone rings up a talk show with controversial views and misinformation and sets the switchboards alight... it's good for listening figures. Same in print or online outlets.

There are, of course, plenty of news outlets who are fighting to get to the truth and fact checking, but there's just as many who are happy to sacrifice truth to ratings.

And no, I'm not naming names of any specific outlets/programmes/papers/periodicals etc.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

We - are programmed...to what WE process!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sadly, this article fails to mention that US taxpayer money is being used to spread fake covid-19 news through a website in Armenia, by "an NGO led by a locally well-known doctor with anti-LGBT views and far-right connections."

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/us-money-armenia-misinformation-covid-vaccines/

Crackpot ultra-rightists spreading anti-science fake news funded by the US embassy in Yerevan. What on earth is going on?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Michael MachidaToday  02:47 pm JST

If Governments around the world would tell the truth about CoronaVirus and the statistics and the honest situation in each country, there would not be any mis-information to begin with.

That is a really big fantasy "If" at the beginning of your post.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Most American lack the basis biology knowledge to make an informed decision how too protect themselves from the virus and become a willingly host to the virus, lots of American do not know the different, between a virus or bacterial infection, you wonder, why the virus is spreading out of control in America

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The media sensationalism of the coronavirus is in and of itself misinformation. 40% of USA deaths are from closed aged people facilities. The top five regions of USA for deaths are not politically aligned with the President. Either Trump is reckless stupid and incapable to doing anything or he is a diabolical mastermind that inflicted this on his rivals.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

S'why we should do the legwork to verify the situation from multiple sources, not just one source or a few sources

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sad to say it looks there's some liars and idiots in Asia who are as stupid as the cretins in America.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Justin Person

The media sensationalism of the coronavirus is in and of itself misinformation. 40% of USA deaths are from closed aged people facilities. The top five regions of USA for deaths are not politically aligned with the President. Either Trump is reckless stupid and incapable to doing anything or he is a diabolical mastermind that inflicted this on his rivals.

And yet, whenever the BBC reports the high British death statistics on the TV, it usually states that they don't include care homes or other places for old people, etc. However, I'm sure certain people still think they're being "sensationalist" too?

Your point?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The robot in the pic reminds me of the drug-pushing pimp robot in the movie Ice Pirates.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Peesident Trump has just solved the misinformation problem-blue skies ahead!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

klausdorth:

Like taking hydroxychloroquine etc.

If you looked outside CNN et al, you would know that hydroxycholoriquine is quite sucessful if used correctly. Get an idea why your echo chamber is dangerous?

reckless:

I really wish there was a good alternative to Facebook to just share photos with a few family members. It is like a toxic waste dump.

I think "Minds" is an alternative to Fakebook, without Zuckerbergs political censorship. Problem is, it does not have the monopolistic market position, so you´d have to get people to sign up.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

All countries are being fed BS, constantly being told "be scared, give up your rights, hide, don't interact with others, wait for our expensive and dangerous meds,..." Most people are getting poorer, while those who are controlling the narrative and getting richer.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

"And if they can't find enough satisfactory answers from official sources, they'll start to look elsewhere."

That is what many posters are doing here on JT. Especially the fear mongering ones.

Jumping from one website to another just to proove their points. (Sometimes I am wondering how they found those websites)

Instead of jumping around the internet or any other news, they better should look around them and see the reality!

Virus misinformation news are always bad news.

Food for the fear mongering people!

Therefore, they click each website, switch from Chanel to chanel on the TV, and read each newspaper.

And the medias are happy!

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

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