YOUTUBE COMO FUENTE DE INFORMACIÓN SOBRE MEDICAMENTOS NO PROBADOS PARA EL COVID-19: el papel de los principales medios de comunicación y los algoritmos de recomendación en la promoción de la desinformación

SOARES, FELIPE BONOW; SALGUEIRO, IGOR; BONOTO, CAROLINA; VINHAS, OTÁVIO

FELIPE BONOW SOARES

conceptualization of the research design

development of the first draft

data collection

data analysis

discussion of results

revision

approval of the final draft

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil. E-mail: fbonowsoares@gmail.com

FELIPE BONOW SOARES Researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Information (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul). His research interests include mis/disinformation, political discourse, and social media. E-mail:fbonowsoares@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4850-9255

IGOR SALGUEIRO

data analysis

discussion of results

revision

approval of the final draft

Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil. E-mail: igorsalgueiro4@gmail.com

IGOR SALGUEIRO Undergraduate student in Journalism at Universidade Federal de Pelotas – Pelotas, RS, Brazil. He is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. His research interests include mis/disinformation,fact-checking, and political communication. E-mail: igorsalgueiro4@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8639-2241

CAROLINA BONOTO

data analysis

discussion of results

revision

approval of the final draft

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil. E-mail: c.bonoto@gmail.com

CAROLINA BONOTO Ph.D. student in Communication at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. She is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Her research interestsinclude LGBTQI+ activism, gender and sexuality, and online misinformation. E-mail: c.bonoto@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2184-7625

OTÁVIO VINHAS

conceptualization of the research design

revision

approval of the final draft

discussion of results

University College Dublin, Dublin – Ireland. E-mail: otavio.vinhas@gmail.com

OTÁVIO VINHAS Ph.D. student in Information andCommunication at University College Dublin – Dublin, Ireland. He is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. His research interests include fact-checking, misinformation, and sociocybernetics. E-mail: otavio.vinhas@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0226-4371

FELIPE BONOW SOARES

Researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Information (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul). His research interests include mis/disinformation, political discourse, and social media. E-mail:fbonowsoares@gmail.com

IGOR SALGUEIRO

Undergraduate student in Journalism at Universidade Federal de Pelotas – Pelotas, RS, Brazil. He is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. His research interests include mis/disinformation,fact-checking, and political communication. E-mail: igorsalgueiro4@gmail.com

CAROLINA BONOTO

Ph.D. student in Communication at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. She is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Her research interestsinclude LGBTQI+ activism, gender and sexuality, and online misinformation. E-mail: c.bonoto@gmail.com

OTÁVIO VINHAS

Ph.D. student in Information andCommunication at University College Dublin – Dublin, Ireland. He is also a researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. His research interests include fact-checking, misinformation, and sociocybernetics. E-mail: otavio.vinhas@gmail.com

Desk Review Editor: Kérley Winques

Category	Description
Pro-HCQ	We consider that a video contains pro-HCQ content when it reproduces claims that the drugs are a cure or prophylaxis for covid-19, reproduces an interview with someone promoting the drugs, includes stories of people allegedly cured by HCQ, and/or incentivizes people to use the drugs by reverberating protocols from the Brazilian Federal Government or any hospital without mentioning that the drugs do not have efficacy as a treatment for covid-19.
Anti-HCQ	We consider that a video contains anti-HCQ content when it reverberates studies that found no evidence of the efficacy of the drugs for covid-19, reproduces instructions from medical authorities to not use the unproven drugs, includes an interview with someone defending that hydroxychloroquine is an unproven drug for covid-19, and/or clearly mention that despite that some people promote hydroxychloroquine, the drugs do not have efficacy for treating covid-19.
Without a clear position	We consider that a video has no clear position when it does not directly associate the drugs with covid-19, or it does not contain pro-HCQ or anti-HCQ content.

Category	Description
Mainstream media	YouTube channels from free-to-air television channels, cable television channels, daily newspapers, radio stations, traditional online news portals, and mainstream media in general.
Alternative media	YouTube channels from alternative sources of information, such as hyperpartisan media, independent media, and other types of nontraditional news outlets.
Political	YouTube channels in which the main topic is politics, such as channels from politicians, activists, political analysts, and journalists covering political issues.
Entertainment	YouTube channels in which the main topic is entertainment. For example, music, humor, cinema, etc.
Science, health, and education	YouTube channels from organizations associated with research, health, and/ or education in general, or YouTube channels in which the main topic is science, health, and/or education.
Other	YouTube channels that cannot be classified into any other category.

Coders	Content	Channel
Coders 1 and 2	κ = .73	κ = .901
Coders 1 and 3	κ = .746	κ = .931
Coders 2 and 3	κ = .774	κ = .921
Overall	κ = .75	κ = .917

Metadata	Content	N	Mean	SD
Views	Pro-HCQ	323	61854.94	111381.88
Views	Anti-HCQ	368	35345.17	101270.11
Comments	Pro-HCQ	321	469.22	760.80
Comments	Anti-HCQ	346	309.64	578.81
Likes	Pro-HCQ	319	4732.07	11971.50
Likes	Anti-HCQ	367	2806.09	7656.61
Dislikes	Pro-HCQ	319	131.10	214.88
Dislikes	Anti-HCQ	367	180.21	446.48

Channel	Variable	Content	N	Mean	SD	Welch’s t	df	P
UOL	Views	Pro	40	38123.33	61256.71	2.64	47.15	.011
	Views	Anti	14	11019.79	12814.77	2.64	47.15	.011
	Comments	Pro	40	330.83	418.7	0.15	18.51	.880
	Comments	Anti	14	306	552.12	0.15	18.51	.880
	Dislikes	Pro	40	130.28	165.62	-0.2	17.44	.843
	Dislikes	Anti	14	144.36	242.45	-0.2	17.44	.843
	Likes	Pro	40	791.68	1489.43	2.16	44.89	.036
	Likes	Anti	14	261.93	255.65	2.16	44.89	.036
Band Jornalismo	Views	Pro	18	51080.61	71598.9	1.77	27.27	.087
	Views	Anti	17	16402	40794.4	1.77	27.27	.087
	Comments	Pro	18	308.61	253.32	0.16	23.85	.873
	Comments	Anti	17	287.41	483.98	0.16	23.85	.873
	Dislikes	Pro	18	109.72	107.33	0.1	22.29	.919
	Dislikes	Anti	17	103.41	231.48	0.1	22.29	.919
	Likes	Pro	18	1340.44	1943.89	2.1	20.3	.048
	Likes	Anti	17	331.53	592.17	2.1	20.3	.048
Jovem Pan News	Views	Pro	17	76162.29	142222.76	1.96	16.36	.067
	Views	Anti	14	8040.93	13672.26	1.96	16.36	.067
	Comments	Pro	17	420.12	833.83	1.26	18.78	.224
	Comments	Anti	14	154.57	225.38	1.26	18.78	.224
	Dislikes	Pro	17	127.94	168.65	-0.2	23.14	.843
	Dislikes	Anti	14	142.86	233.01	-0.2	23.14	.843
	Likes	Pro	17	4130.77	7386.77	2.16	16.15	.046
	Likes	Anti	14	251.79	457.64	2.16	16.15	.046
Jornal da Record	Views	Pro	21	49721.05	87808.18	2.29	20.2	.033
	Views	Anti	6	5833.33	3311.35	2.29	20.2	.033
	Comments	Pro	21	259.43	370.51	2.19	24.34	.038
	Comments	Anti	6	69	77.89	2.19	24.34	.038
	Dislikes	Pro	21	70.91	94.48	2.59	21.75	.017
	Dislikes	Anti	6	16.33	11.02	2.59	21.75	.017
	Likes	Pro	21	1891.19	3388.12	2.32	20.21	.031
	Likes	Anti	6	172.83	130.9	2.32	20.21	.031

Group	E-I index	Average clustering coefficient
Anti-HCQ	0.06	0.132
Pro-HCQ	-0.22	0.178
Without a clear position	0.75	0.156
Network	-0.02	0.157

Group	N	Mean	SD
Pro-HCQ	323	16.51	32.05
Anti-HCQ	368	11.03	23.25

[1] FELIPE BONOW SOARES

Researcher at MIDIARS (Media, Discourse and Social Network Analysis) Research Lab – Pelotas/Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Information (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul). His research interests include mis/disinformation, political discourse, and social media. E-mail:fbonowsoares@gmail.com

Brasil

Brasil

YOUTUBE COMO FUENTE DE INFORMACIÓN SOBRE MEDICAMENTOS NO PROBADOS PARA EL COVID-19: el papel de los principales medios de comunicación y los algoritmos de recomendación en la promoción de la desinformación

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