While the CEPA report notes that Chinese narratives were “mostly positive, kept China at the center of attention, and showed remarkable consistency between state-backed outlets and diplomats,” there were notable exceptions. With COVID-19, however, China took the lead globally, boosting its efforts to spread conspiracies about the origins of the virus and to polish its own image.Ĭhinese President Xi Jinping gestures to a coronavirus patient and medical staff via video link at the Huoshenshan hospital in Wuhan in March 2020.Ĭhinese propaganda and disinformation have varied, from criticizing Western efforts to combat the virus to defending its own policies to curb the virus and promoting its efforts to supply countries with protective equipment and vaccines. Since 2016, Russia was been widely seen as the leading foreign actor spreading disinformation, for instance in efforts to influence important national elections. “China is trying to send out a message of self-confidence and push a consistent message about the abilities, whereas the Russian campaigns are more focused on creating chaos regardless of whether it contradicts the Kremlin’s official version.” “China selectively borrows from Russia’s playbook, but that has its limits,” Edward Lucas, a senior fellow at CEPA and one of the report’s authors, told RFE/RL. The CEPA report aims to build upon previous studies and understand how the countries’ stepped-up efforts have evolved during the pandemic by compiling a 144,000-piece database to analyze articles and social-media messaging from Chinese and Russian government officials and state-backed media from March 2020 through March 2021. While various governments and individuals from all across the world have helped boost disinformation related to vaccines and the origins of the virus, numerous studies and incidents have documented how China and Russia have played a leading role in amplifying politically expedient conspiracies already in circulation and spreading foreign disinformation about COVID-19’s origins. “China borrowed some tools from Russia but used them for different ends, sanitizing its own record and spreading conspiracy theories on a global scale.”
“Russia largely followed its preexisting playbook of using crises to inflame tensions in foreign societies,” the report states. While Beijing has mobilized its array of multilingual state media, social-media platforms, government officials, and online networks to try to convince the world that it should not be blamed for the pandemic and that China is the most effective global partner in combating the virus, Russian disinformation networks have largely sought to undermine faith in Western efforts to fight COVID-19 and exacerbate tensions, the study finds. The surgeon general also called on tech companies to “tweak their algorithms” to avoid amplifying misinformation.Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. “If someone you care about has a misperception, you might be able to make inroads with them by first seeking to understand instead of passing judgment,” he said. He also encouraged people to engage with friends and family on the issue. He said, “If you’re not sure, don’t share.” Murthy called on the public to verify accuracy of information they receive by checking with trustworthy and credible sources. The surgeon general suggests misinformation is often framed in a sensational or provocative manner, which makes it spread more easily on social media platforms that use algorithms rewarding “likes” and comments or reactions to material that is posted. He says people who share misinformation often do so out of confusion or honest efforts to get the facts. Murthy differentiates between misinformation, and disinformation, which is wrong information spread intentionally for financial gain or political advantage, for example. The surgeon general said misinformation also has led to harassment and violence against public health workers, and other professions seeking to communicate or enforce public health measures. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports about one-third of U.S.
He points to a recent study showing that even brief exposure to COVID-19 vaccine misinformation has made people less likely to want to get vaccinated, at a time when the U.S. In Murthy’s advisory, the first he has issued since taking office earlier this year, the surgeon general calls health misinformation “a serious threat to public health” that can “cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people’s health, and undermine public health efforts.” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory Thursday urging the public to help limit the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, which he says has led to the slowdown of the U.S.
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