Disinformation and Covid-19: Quantitative analysis through the hoaxes debunked in Latin America and Spain
- Amaya Noain Sánchez Universidad Rey Juan Carlos https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2845-3285
Abstract
This paper provides a quantitative approach to disinformation stories related to the Covid-19 pandemic and debunked by fact-checking platforms in Latin America and Spain between January 1st and June 30th 2020. Through content analysis (N=1679) the results of the verifications, distribution channels, formats and main thematic lines are also explored. The study shows that the countries with the largest number of verifications are Brazil and Spain. As for the hoaxes text is the format most usually found to spread disinformation and Social Networks are the dissemination means most commonly used, being Facebook highly used in Latin America and WhatsApp in Spain. Regarding the main thematic lines, apart from generating a large number of hoaxes on health and science, it also led to the dissemination of disinformation relation to politics.
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Author Biography
Doctora Europea en Ciencias de la Información por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid-Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. Como investigadora ha participado en proyectos en el Institut für Kulturanthropologie und Europäische Ethnologie de la Universidad Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main.Su tesis doctoral, centrada en la protección de la vida privada en redes sociales, obtuvo el Premio Nacional de Investigación 2015 que otorga anualmente la Agencia Española de Protección de Datos. Asimismo, ha ejercido en periodismo en medios impresos, radiofónicos (RNE) y ha trabajado en la asesoría de comunicación de la Consejería de Cultura de la Comunidad de Madrid. En la actualidad, investiga sobre: Comunicación; Periodismo; Ética; Medios de Comunicación de Masas; Tecnologías Digitales; Redes Sociales; Esfera Privada y Entornos Digitales. Actualmente es profesora de la Facultad de ciencias de la Comunicación de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid.
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