Darrick Robles During the Corona crisis, there are new developments in politics, business and society almost every day. In order to stay up to date, we therefore have to inform ourselves regularly. But what information can we trust? This article provides recommendations on how to navigate the media landscape.
information in excess
Right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confronted with a bewildering array of facts and figures about the coronavirus every day. In addition, there is a great deal of sometimes contradictory advice that is disseminated via television, radio and the Internet, as well as in newspapers and magazines. Social networks are full of photos, videos, comments and memes on the subject.
The WHO describes the current state as a “massive infodemic,” an excess of information, far from all of which is accurate and true, and some of which is downright wrong. In order to stay up to date, it is therefore essential to identify trustworthy sources and to critically examine the truthfulness of news.
The fight against fake news
Criminals can benefit from the Corona crisis, e.g. B. by fomenting fear and then offering false remedies for protection. Fake news masquerading as news is designed to draw attention and manipulate people. Fake news can be spread particularly easily on social networks. However, social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have already started removing false claims, such as that social isolation is not helping fight the pandemic.
Trusted Sources
In the search for the truth, a critical attitude is essential. Because, of course, the authors of fake news also try to prepare their news as seriously as possible. You can trust the following sources. There you will find a variety of well-researched information on a scientific basis.
- Federal Ministry of Health : Up-to-date information on the Corona crisis.
- World Health Organization (WHO) : Comprehensive news and guidance on the coronavirus.
- Robert Koch Institute : Reliable information on current case numbers.
- Federal Foreign Office : Current information on the subject of travel.
At Med-Healths, we use these sources when compiling relevant content for you, such as magazine articles, newsletters, or social media posts.
You should ask yourself these 5 questions
1. Where does it come from? You can use a search engine like Google to find out where a report came from. Commercial German websites must have an imprint. It is better not to trust profiles on social networks that do not contain real names.
2. How is the language? A large number of spelling and grammatical errors does not exactly speak for a reputable source, nor does a lurid, sensationalized writing style with many exclamation and question marks.
3. Which images are used? Images often appear deceptively real, even if they are not. You can use screenshots to search for the origin of an image using Google image search.
4. Is something marketed? If a message is intended to sell a product or service, you should be on the alert – even if so-called “experts” recommend it.
5. Is the information correct? Even if information appears plausible and up-to-date, there is often no way around a fact check. You can e.g. B. check whether the information can also be found on one of the linked pages mentioned above.
5 pieces of advice for a scientific approach
Would you like to delve deeper into the topic? Health information presented in the media is often based on scientific research, which is interpreted by the journalists. This often gives a different picture than what the study results actually show. We have 5 pieces of advice for you on how to approach information scientifically and identify high-quality research.
1. Read the leading medical journals. Rely on research results published in established medical journals. Here you can be sure that the facts and figures have been subjected to a thorough examination by experts before they are published.
2. Search for randomized controlled trials. The corona virus is currently being intensively researched. Randomized, controlled, double-blind studies are particularly valid. Here the participants are selected at random, there is a control group and neither the participants nor the doctors know who belongs to which group.
3. Follow the path of money. Who funded the study? Large-scale studies in particular are often very expensive, so researchers have to acquire external funds for them. If a study is not conducted by independent researchers but is paid for, for example, by a drug manufacturer, it can be assumed that the results will trend in a direction that will benefit the sponsor of the study.
4. Search for a meta-analysis. In this type of study, researchers look at a large number of scientific studies on a specific topic and draw conclusions based on a sufficiently large body of data.
5. Search for a systematic review. This type of scientific work, often referred to simply as a review, collects the available knowledge on a topic and critically evaluates it. In doing so, existing gaps in knowledge are often identified and new ideas for future research projects are formulated.
Conclusion: Healthy skepticism is appropriate
Do not blindly trust everything you see or hear in the media, but choose your sources purposefully and consciously. As a rule of thumb, if something seems too good to be true, you should check it out. The same applies if the news is particularly blatant, shocking or populist.
