key: cord-252061-ode6yi83 authors: Naeem, Salman Bin; Bhatti, Rubina title: The Covid‐19 ‘infodemic’: a new front for information professionals date: 2020-06-13 journal: Health Info Libr J DOI: 10.1111/hir.12311 sha: doc_id: 252061 cord_uid: ode6yi83 The virus, commonly known as COVID‐19 which emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, has spread in 213 countries, areas or territories around the globe, with nearly 144 683 deaths worldwide on 18 April 2020. In the wake of this pandemic, we have witnessed a massive infodemic with the public being bombarded with vast quantities of information, much of which is not scientifically correct. Fighting fake news is now the new front in the COVID‐19 battle. This regular feature comments on the role of health sciences librarians and information professionals in combating the COVID‐19 infodemic. To support their work, it draws attention to the myth busters, fact‐checkers and credible sources relating to COVID‐19. It also documents the guides that libraries have put together to help the general public, students and faculty recognise fake news. A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on (Pratchett, 2013 ). An infodemic may be defined as an excessive amount of information concerning a problem such that the solution is made more difficult. The end result is that an anxious public finds it difficult to distinguish between evidence-based information and a broad range of unreliable misinformation. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus (commonly known as spreads, it has been accompanied by a vast amount of medical misinformation, rumours and half-backed conspiracy theories from unfiltered channels, often disseminated through social media and other outlets. This infodemic now poses a serious problem for public health. In such a rapidly changing situation, with millions on lockdown, social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and WeChat have become major sources of information about the crisis. Research by the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Italy showed that every day in March 2020 there was an average of 46 000 new posts on Twitter linked to misleading information about the pandemic (Hollowood & Mostrous, 2020) . A recent Ofcom's survey (2020) in the UK indicated that 46% of UK adults reported that they have been exposed to misleading information online about the crises. 40% adults in the UK are 'finding it hard to know what is true or false about the virus'. Similarly, a study in the United States reported that 64% of US adults faced a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current events due to the spread of fake news (Barthel et al., 2016) . Most of the misinformation relates to findings of studies that, although empirical, were either preliminary or inconclusive (Lai, Shih, Ko, Tang, & Hsueh, 2020) . Table 1 summaries some of the commonly spread myths (Government of Pakistan, 2020; World Health Organization, 2020a). The abundance of information on social media frequently without any check on its authenticity makes it difficult for an individual to distinguish between what are facts, and what are opinions, propaganda or biases. There is a huge increase in stories on social media that may initially appear credible but later prove false or fabricated; however, by the time they are proven to false, the damage may be irreversible. We know that every outbreak will be accompanied by a kind of tsunami of information, but also within this information you always have misinformation, rumours, etc. We know that even in the Middle Ages there was this phenomenon. But the difference now with social media is that this phenomenon is amplified, it goes faster and further, like the viruses that travel with people and go faster and further. So it is a new challenge, and the challenge is the [timing] because you need to be faster if you want to fill the void. . .What is at stake during an outbreak is making sure people will do the right thing to control the disease or to mitigate its impact. So it is not only information to make sure people are informed; it is also making sure people are informed to act appropriately (Zarocostas, 2020) Efforts to combat the infodemic Fighting this infodemic is the new front in the COVID-19 battle (Child, 2020) . In the 'post-truth' era, audiences are likely to believe information that appeals to their emotions and personal beliefs, as opposed to information that is regarded as factual and or objective (Maoret, 2017) . This poses a major global risk and a threat to public health. Thus, it becomes vital to educate people generally, and youth in particular, about the nature of fake news and negative outcomes of sharing such news. The UNESCO is making efforts to counter misinformation and promote the facts about the COVID-19 disease. The agency is using the hashtags #ThinkBeforeClicking, #ThinkBeforeSharing and #ShareKnowledge, and promoting the view that the rights to freedom of expression and access to information are the best ways of combating the dangers of disinformation (UN News, 2020). The Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker, asserted that: 'Everybody needs to get their news from legitimate places, not from their friend's friend's friend's friend'. The World Economic Forum (2020) published a three steps guideline on 'how to read the news like a scientist and avoid the COVID-19 'infodemic''. It includes (i) embracing uncertaintyresponsibly, (ii) asking where's the information coming from? (iii) determining who's backing up the claim. Wardle and Derakhshan (2017) presented a useful framework to understand the difference between the types of mis-and dis-information ( Table 2 ). Health Sciences Librarians (HSLs) have the knowledge, skills and experience to play an important role in the fight against fake news. It is worth bearing in mind that since the 1980s they have played a leading role in educating people (through information literacy programmes) about how to evaluate facts and how to check the authenticity of information (Banks, 2016; Dempsey, 2017) . There is a need now for HSLs to promote dialogue amongst themselves about how best to develop mechanisms to prevent and counteract the spread of fake news. The main weapon must be training and education, drawing on the many information literacy programmes to alert the public on how to identify fake news. The next section of this article catalogues some of the tools HSLs can draw upon. Libraries have put together guides to help students, staff, faculty and the general public to recognise what is fake news (Hernandez, 2018; Stein-Smith, 2017) . The International Federation for the Library Association (IFLA, 2016) developed an 8-step guideline to identify fake news. These steps include (i) consider the source, (ii) check the author, (iii) check the date, (iv) check your biases, (v) read beyond, (vi) seek supporting sources, (vii) ask 'is it a joke?' and (viii) ask the experts see ( Figure 1 ). Another useful checklist for determining the reliability of the information source is CRAAP (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose) created by the Meriam Library, California State University & Chico, 2010 https:// library.csuchico.edu/help/source-or-informationgood. There are many other information literacy guidelines that can help the general public to recognise and avoid fake news. HSLs should be knowledgeable about these resources and publicise them to their users. The WHO has recently launched a Myth buster to respond to the misinformation and myths relating to COVID-19 disease ( Figure 2) . Several countries have also developed similar types of websites. These websites help people to determine the authenticity of the facts presented by any news or information sites, pinpointing any misinformation or myths which are indigenously induced and viral within a country through social networks. There are a range of fact-checking agencies and websites that can help verify the reality of news or information. Several of these fact-checking sites continually update details of the news, myths or information that is fake. The following are the lists of widely used fact-checkers. These can be useful to determine the authenticity of news or information during the pandemic. Health science librarians have the knowledge and skills to provide guidance to the general public on how to find credible and reliable information in the age of post-truth, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. HSLs should share resources and collaborate to help people become more critical of what is being presented to them as facts through social media and other outlets. Using the many tools at their disposal, the goal of information professionals must be to enable the public to distinguish between facts and fake information. A Website Seeking Truth & Exposing Fiction since Addressing the Challenge of Fake News through Artificial Intelligence Boom: COVID-19 News Colombia Fact Check for IFCN Fact Checking Organizations on WhatsApp Official Twitter Handle of Government of Pakistan for Exposing Fake News https://twitte r.com/fakenews_buster?lang=en 14. Snopes is the Internet's Definitive Fact-Checking Resource Fighting fake news: How libraries can lead the way on media literacy Many Americans believe fake news is sowing confusion Fighting fake news: The new front in the coronavirus battle: Bogus stories and half-backed conspiracy theories are surging through the internet What's behind fake news and what you can do about it? Information Today National Command and Control Centre for COVID-19 in Pakistan Fake News and Academic Librarians: A Hook for Introducing Undergraduate Students to Information Literacy. Information Literacy and Libraries in the Age of Fake News Fake news in the time of C-19 How to spot fake news Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19): the epidemic and the challenges The social construction of fats: Surviving a post-truth world [Video File Evaluating information: Applying the CRAAP test Covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes Results from week one of Ofcom's online survey The truth Librarians, Information Literacy, and Fake News During this coronavirus pandemic, 'fake news' is putting lives at risk: UNESCO Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making How to read the news like a scientist and avoid the COVID-19 'infodemic Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Myth busters Munich Security Conference. Director General How to fight an infodemic. The Lancet We would like to acknowledge Prof. Khalid N Haq for his support in completing the research work. We would also like to acknowledge Jeannette Murphy, for her valuable comments, timely response and effort she put in getting the work processed and published. There is no conflict of interest.