Fake health news during the COVID-19 pandemic: between skepticism and cultural preference biasAbstract
During the Covid-19 pandemic, it is observed that a lot disinformation or fake news regarding how the pandemic has been portrayed in electronic media. This article examines how the public gets and disseminates information about COVID-19 from and to WhatsApp groups, and how cultural background influences scepticism about COVID-19 information obtained from WhatsApp groups. Based on the outcomes of 200 respondents’ interviews conducted in Surabaya and Malang, East Java, the results found that fake news about COVID-19, especially those related to health information and the benefits of sunbathing to fight COVID-19, got critical responses by more than half of the respondents. However, several respondents believed that fake news about COVID-19 were true because of the socio-cultural habit of consuming jamu and herbal medicine, which are considered part of a beneficial cultural heritage. Belief systems and cultural practices in an uncertain situation as the COVID-19 pandemic have made people easily influenced by the wrong understanding of the true benefits of jamu in the prevention of COVID-19. The community endorses disinformation or fake news when they accept information suggesting that spices (“jamu” and “empon-empon”) can treat COVID-19 patients. People are inclined to seek direction within the framework of their traditional belief system when confronted with uncertain situations and severe anxiety, which can even reinforce and validate their belief.
Keywords:
fake health news; COVID-19 pandemic; WhatsApp group; cultural belief