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December 9, 2020
Two enterprising journalists in Africa turn a “problem platform” into the solution. Using WhatsApp groups to discuss controversial topics and debunk myths and misinformation on COVID-19, this short-term fix is growing into a long-term asset.
By Adèle Sulcas
Surge of disinformation
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with smartphones experienced a deluge of messages and videos on social media, largely made up of dangerous ‘advice’, xenophobia, hate speech, and conspiracy theories.
While European epidemics seemed to be stabilizing in March and April, these torrents of misinformation were circulating in developing countries. For journalists trying to separate truth from falsehood, this ‘infodemic’ made understanding more about the virus – and explaining it to the public – all the more difficult. This was especially troubling for journalists in developing countries where COVID-19 was still a relatively new phenomenon and where obtaini