An infodemic is the overabundance of information including false or misleading information that is spread by people in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak[i] . It causes confusion, impacts trust, has the potential to exacerbate tensions, and hinders behaviours that protect health. All of these undermine the public health response. Mercy Corps, in partnership with the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust, Ciencia Puerto Rico, Ciencia en tus Manos and Internews, had initiated a campaign to track rumours related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The project aimed to map the local information ecosystem to identify information gaps and circulating mis- and disinformation to address them in a timely and targeted manner.
Mercy Corps collaborated with Internews to build a rumour tracker tool and conducted a social media mapping exercise with community leaders to identify relevant media outlets. Identified channels were closely monitored through social media listening and rumours were logged on a spreadsheet. Additionally, Mercy Corps team conducted community listening through forms that could be filled by the participating community leaders and health promoters. Those with low digital literacy could also submit rumours through WhatsApp messages. Data collected was similarly logged in the spreadsheet. The Mercy Corps monitoring team met on a weekly basis to identify most common rumours that needed to be addressed. Besides social media scanning, the project team also engaged with community leaders to get a better understanding of the information needs of the local communities. Based on these insights, evidence-based messages tailored to the respective communities were developed, particularly on vaccination. Messages were shared and amplified through Mercy Corps and partner organizations’ social media channels. Community leaders and health promoters would also share the content in their own networks.
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