Our Heightened Ambivalent Relationship with Fake News in Troubled Times

Matthew Lee

Abstract

In an interview with the BBC, Italo Lennon, an epidemiologist tracking the pandemic at Ceará's public health department, said, “... Our biggest problem is fake news.” Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president said in an online video statement, “There is an increasing number of fake news about the coronavirus outbreak that is circulating in particular, online.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, fake news was more rampant than ever. Authorities constantly spoke against it, causing ambivalence among the people in regards to fake news. This paper analyses the complex relationship between people and fake news during an event. To illustrate this, the following will be highlighted: 1) the influence of fake news during past significant events; 2) mass hysteria cases during events; 3) the effect of human-media relationships during events. Girard’s mimetic theory lays the foundation for this research. In a heightened event, such as a pandemic, it is often reported that more people are attracted to the absurdity of fake news than during normal times. Simply just by reading, we allow fake news to propagate. In the midst of all the mundane media messages, the intensity of fake news mystifies. Its mystery always keeps us wanting more. Understanding the truth of our relationship with the media, allows authorities to be more efficient during an event, such as a pandemic.


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