Countering misinformation to save lives

Our public health system is under immense physical strain because of the present pandemic. And this world war we are fighting is made more difficult because of a relentless psychological battle against an enemy on a different front. This enemy is dangerous and insidious. It can visit and conquer us even in the comfort of our own homes, and even as we practice all the safety protocols to avoid a deadly virus.

We may know it as fake news, disinformation, or misinformation. This infodemic of fake news has caused many of our friends and family to doubt and even reject the life-

saving benefits of vaccination. And in so doing, it has stolen many lives. Our ICUs are full of patients who regret not getting vaccinated. For many, the regret comes too late.

Authorities have yet to establish a formal guide on how to deal with fearmongers or irresponsible online influencers peddling disinformation. It is not easy. But we can start somewhere. And the approach must involve multistakeholders.

Fake news is not unique to our country. It is a worldwide problem. It is everywhere that can be reached by social media and the internet. Studies have shown that fake news, especially sensational fake news, travels much faster than truth. What makes matters worse is that peddlers of fake news have found a way to combine truth with lies, thereby making it more difficult even for some doctors, let alone the average layperson, to discern truth from dangerous fiction and speculation. After all, the most effective lies are half-truths.

Some countries have established systematic ways to tackle the infodemic. Many have assembled anti-disinformation task forces, and others are passing legislation to address peddlers of fake news. The US Surgeon General recently published a public advisory that gives sound advice to every stakeholder. Media literacy programs in schools that teach skills to recognize fake news at a young age have been recommended and are now being studied. These are things we can consider in our country.

We teach our medical students how to analyze published scientific papers in order to discern how good the evidence presented is. Perhaps it is also time we offered a mandatory course for medical students and clinicians on how to rip apart fake news, how to address patient concerns without causing panic, and how to do so in a simple, understandable, and compassionate way. These skills are important, not just for this crisis, but also for the future. There have been webinars on this. But we should consider incorporating such courses in the school curriculum.

One cannot talk about tackling fake news without mentioning our partners in this battle: our brothers and sisters in media. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are two very different things. While our Constitution protects both, press freedom carries greater responsibility. A person can say almost anything he or she wants to say on various social media platforms as long as these are not libelous or slanderous, and it remains one’s opinion. But when a reputable and far-reaching mass media organization gives that person a platform to discuss ideas, no matter how off-tangent and dangerous, these ideas may be taken to be true by a gullible and confused public. In a pandemic such as we are in right now, this confusion can have tragic consequences. We therefore urge media personalities and networks to be very careful. Avoid politicizing vaccines or any other public health measure that world data have shown to be effective in saving lives. We need to be extra careful that our public service and information programs are not hijacked as venues to spew misinformation.

There is so much mistrust and cynicism among people today. Hence, conspiracy theories sell very easily. And this is understandable in light of the many sins committed in the name of profit. For this reason, even those among us who have no vested interest and who simply want to inform in order to save lives may be looked upon with suspicion. This is tiring and frustrating. We need all the help we can get.

We don’t as yet have a playbook on how to defeat misinformation. But if we work together, discern before we speak or post, put our personal interests and animosities aside in favor of public welfare, and start arming ourselves and our children with the skills necessary to discern truth from lies, then we can look forward to overcoming this pandemic sooner rather than later.

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Dr. Minguita Padilla is a co-convener of Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare. She is a clinical associate professor at the UP-Philippine General Hospital, UP College of Medicine, a consultant at the St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City, and the president of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines.