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Fact-checking as risk communication: the multi-layered risk of misinformation in times of COVID-19

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  • Nicole M. Krause
  • Isabelle Freiling
  • Becca Beets
  • Dominique Brossard

Abstract

The emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus has led to more than a pandemic—indeed, COVID-19 is spawning myriad other concerns as it rapidly marches around the globe. One of these concerns is a surge of misinformation, which we argue should be viewed as a risk in its own right, and to which insights from decades of risk communication research must be applied. Further, when the subject of misinformation is itself a risk, as in the case of COVID-19, we argue for the utility of viewing the problem as a multi-layered risk communication problem. In such circumstances, misinformation functions as a meta-risk that interacts with and complicates publics’ perceptions of the original risk. Therefore, as the COVID-19 “misinfodemic” intensifies, risk communication research should inform the efforts of key risk communicators. To this end, we discuss the implications of risk research for efforts to fact-check COVID-19 misinformation and offer practical recommendations.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicole M. Krause & Isabelle Freiling & Becca Beets & Dominique Brossard, 2020. "Fact-checking as risk communication: the multi-layered risk of misinformation in times of COVID-19," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 1052-1059, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:23:y:2020:i:7-8:p:1052-1059
    DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2020.1756385
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    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Economics of Welfare > Health Economics > Economics of Pandemics > Specific pandemics > Covid-19 > Behavioral issues > Misinformation

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    Cited by:

    1. Grzegorz Drozdowski & Joanna Rogozińska-Mitrut & Jacek Stasiak, 2021. "The Empirical Analysis of the Core Competencies of the Company’s Resource Management Risk. Preliminary Study," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Lucia Freira & Marco Sartorio & Cynthia Boruchowicz & Florencia Lopez Boo & Joaquin Navajas, 2021. "The interplay between partisanship, forecasted COVID-19 deaths, and support for preventive policies," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Nicole M. Krause & Isabelle Freiling & Dietram A. Scheufele, 2022. "The “Infodemic†Infodemic: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Truth-Claims and the Need for (Not) Combatting Misinformation," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 700(1), pages 112-123, March.
    4. Zhao, Xiaoquan & Horoszko, Urszula A. & Murphy, Amy & Taylor, Bruce G. & Lamuda, Phoebe A. & Pollack, Harold A. & Schneider, John A. & Taxman, Faye S., 2023. "Openness to change among COVID misinformation endorsers: Associations with social demographic characteristics and information source usage," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    5. Jamie Bedson & Laura A. Skrip & Danielle Pedi & Sharon Abramowitz & Simone Carter & Mohamed F. Jalloh & Sebastian Funk & Nina Gobat & Tamara Giles-Vernick & Gerardo Chowell & João Rangel Almeida & Ran, 2021. "A review and agenda for integrated disease models including social and behavioural factors," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(7), pages 834-846, July.
    6. Margherita, Alessandro & Elia, Gianluca & Klein, Mark, 2021. "Managing the COVID-19 emergency: A coordination framework to enhance response practices and actions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    7. Lei Jiang & Yujia Huang & Haonan Cheng & Ting Zhang & Lei Huang, 2021. "Emergency Response and Risk Communication Effects of Local Media during COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A Study Based on a Social Media Network," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Ines Kožuh & Peter Čakš, 2021. "Explaining News Trust in Social Media News during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Role of a Need for Cognition and News Engagement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Yea Lu Tay & Zalilah Abdullah & Kalvina Chelladorai & Lee Lan Low & Seng Fah Tong, 2021. "Perception of the Movement Control Order during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-13, August.
    10. Nan, Xiaoli & Wang, Yuan & Thier, Kathryn, 2022. "Why do people believe health misinformation and who is at risk? A systematic review of individual differences in susceptibility to health misinformation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    11. Wei Zhai & Xinyu Fu & Mengyang Liu & Zhong-Ren Peng, 2023. "The impact of ethnic segregation on neighbourhood-level social distancing in the United States amid the early outbreak of COVID-19," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 60(8), pages 1403-1426, June.
    12. Saleh Al-Omoush, Khaled & Orero-Blat, Maria & Ribeiro-Soriano, Domingo, 2021. "The role of sense of community in harnessing the wisdom of crowds and creating collaborative knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 765-774.
    13. Verma, Surabhi & Gustafsson, Anders, 2020. "Investigating the emerging COVID-19 research trends in the field of business and management: A bibliometric analysis approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 253-261.
    14. Xosé López-García & Carmen Costa-Sánchez & Ángel Vizoso, 2021. "Journalistic Fact-Checking of Information in Pandemic: Stakeholders, Hoaxes, and Strategies to Fight Disinformation during the COVID-19 Crisis in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-15, January.
    15. Nadejda Komendantova & Dmitry Erokhin & Teresa Albano, 2023. "Misinformation and Its Impact on Contested Policy Issues: The Example of Migration Discourses," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, July.

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