The Infodemic

Episode 82

Stat: 87 percent: Americans who say they are following news about the coronavirus outbreak fairly or very closely.

Story: According to the World Health Organization, people are not only living through an epidemic but also an “infodemic”—a surge of information about COVID-19 that has made it hard for people to know which news and guidance about the virus is accurate. In a conversation with Alan Miller, founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project, we discuss how to sort fact from fiction today.

Related resources:

Americans are following news about presidential candidates much less closely than COVID-19 news

Early in outbreak, Americans cited claims about risk level and details of coronavirus as made-up news

UN tackles ‘infodemic’ of misinformation and cybercrime in COVID-19 crisis

About the News Literacy Project

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After the Fact