There is an increasing amount of misinformation and fake news surrounding coronavirus, which has forced the NHS to issue an announcement.
The NHS released today a series of measures in the battle against coronavirus fake news.
The NHS is working with Google, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to help the public get easy access to accurate NHS information and avoid myths and misinformation.
The reasons for this announcement were due to the government’s action of tackling fake news and the need to engage with social media platforms to monitor the internet for scams.
The measures:
Professor Jonathan Benger, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Digital, which runs the NHS website says:
“Getting the right health information to the public is essential, particularly during outbreaks of disease […]
The more we can share accurate information, the less likelihood there is of inaccuracy and rumour, which could put people at risk.”
You should do a search to double-check who the author is and how credible they are. See if the information is available on reputable sites and use good fact-checking websites to get more information such as the NHS website, news outlets such as BBC, The Guardian, ITV News, etc.
And so, it’s worth being ahead of the curve by having conversations with your child about fake news that they may come across in the media.
For further reading on tackling fake news and misinformation, take a look at our guide.
