Our biggest import from the USA is disaster disinformation
What do we do about it?
As the floodwaters kept rising in western and central Queensland early in April, a wide range of social media platforms lit up with empathy, offers of help and stories of local people affected by the massive flood.
In amongst it was disinformation about government assistance and conspiracy theories, imported directly from North Carolina in the US when it was hit by Hurricane Helene
Everything from governments withholding assistance to weather control and land seizures were trotted out. It happened during Cyclone Alfred too, to the extent that mainstream media noticed and talked about it.
We’ve also seen homegrown Australian disinformation that was picked up and amplified by mainstream media. In Black Summer it was that the fires were the work of arsonists (lightning was the main cause) and that environmentalists and eco-terrorists were preventing firefighters from reducing fuel loads in the Australian bush.
While disinformation is not as prominent in Australia as in the US (possibly because the disinformation is mostly not peddled or amplified by politicians here), it comes up in every disaster – and one day it will do significant damage.
Research on misinformation, disinformation and fake news has exploded since 2019, so we now have a handle on each plus effective ways of dealing with them.
I’m not going to go into ALL of the prevention or correction tools – all to do with society-wide mechanisms like media literacy development, platform regulation and social capital – but a few things emergency communicators can do will have a sigificant effect on how misinformation and disinformation are avoided, debunked and the sharing of it slowed or halted.
And our greatest weapon are truthful social media users – that’s 99% of everyone online.
Are we ready?
1. Correction works. Research consistently shows that:
Even anonymous posts correcting mis- and disinformation reduce misperceptions by other users who can see the discussion.
People on social media see your correction discussion in real time and are less likely to share the bad information. So speed is your friend here.
There is a reputational cost to people who share bad information. Others watch this and are discouraged from sharing without a fact check.
People who see someone being corrected aren’t emotionally involved in the exchange, so they are more amenable to your message. So you might not change the poster’s mind, but you’ve influenced 50 others who’ve seen your work.
Emergency agencies in Australia are highly trusted by the community, so your role as a fact checker and information corrector already has credibility.
Mainstream media also has an effect as a rumour-correction channel – so social media and media teams within agencies should be talking.
Self-correction is a thing – during the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, Facebook users corrected information as it was posted.
But – the depth of confirmation bias in a community will affect your correction/fact-checking success.
2. Innoculation pays – and galvanises others to defend you:
Innoculation has two parts – a warning about the threat of misinformation and disinformation; and prebunking, where you pre-empt a specific topic that will be used in disinformation or might come up as rumour.
Prebunking uses your past experience on issues that have come up in previous hazards. Government not coming to support? Photos and descriptions of the SES moving into place before the storm will prebunk. Bushfires escalating? Make regular specific reference to the cause of the new fires.
Mainstream media reports that prime people to expect disinformation attacks are effective – but only if you or your spokesman is specific. Public conversations from every hazard you have dealt with will provide an arsenal for the next one.
Provides others in the community to debunk as bad posts emerge.
3. Fast heads off the furious:
We all know about the effect of vacuums - you all know the drill on this one. Post even if you don’t have updates. Incorporate the names of smaller communities, not just the major centres to be affected.
Understand that misinformation (innocently sharing rumours and disinformation) comes from lack of information; and the anxiety of not having enough information to make good decisions.
How do you maximise inoculations and corrections?
Visuals, visuals, visuals – and videos more than still shots. Videos have higher impact than text or audio.
Repetition.
Corrections need to provide an alternative explanation, not just a statement that what as said was not correct.
Corrections need to be as memorable as the original mis-/disinformation. Humour, images, graphics, a video of a trusted spokesperson will help you overshadow the original post.
Emphasise the correction – don’t give the disinformation more oxygen. So don’t share the original post – use a screenshot or part of it.
Treat every bad post as MISINFORMATION (ie not malicious) and post with empathy and understanding.
Avoid hashtags - they work for marketing, but not for natural hazard communication.
Unfortunately, the nature of natural hazards and their threats to communities means that we don’t have the luxury of not engaging with the trolls. Just occasionally, the troll is a respected member of a community and if not challenged, can do huge damage.
Remember that surveys have shown that people tend to like the idea that you are up there correcting information, and they will take it on as a responsibility to debunk ideas that they have seen you react to.
You have the community behind you!
