Donald Trump is world’s biggest driver of coronavirus misinformation, study shows
- Cornell team found president’s comments led to major spikes articles on ‘miracle cures’, especially after remarks on use of disinfectant and hydroxychloroquine
- Other major forms of misinformation range from attacks on top US health expert Dr Fauci to idea that virus is Chinese bioweapon
US President Donald Trump has been the world’s biggest driver of Covid-19 misinformation during the pandemic, a study from Cornell University said Thursday.
A team from the Cornell Alliance for Science evaluated 38 million articles published by English-language, traditional media worldwide between January 1 and May 26 of this year.
The database they used aggregates coverage from countries such as the United States, Britain, India, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and other African and Asian nations.
They identified 522,472 news articles that reproduced or amplified misinformation related to the coronavirus pandemic, or what the World Health Organization has called the “infodemic”.
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US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump test positive for Covid-19
These were categorised into 11 main subtopics, ranging from conspiracy theories to attacks on top scientist Anthony Fauci to the idea that the virus is a bioweapon unleashed by China.