OP-ED: Disinformation in a time of Covid-19: Weekly trends in South Africa

Over the past seven weeks, we have analysed disinformation trends which have largely focused on Covid-19. The seventh brief analysis looks at the type of complaints reported to the Real411 platform during the week of 5-12 July 2020.

Over the current period, a decrease in complaints was noticed. There could be a number of reasons for fewer complaints being made, but less disinformation circulating is not likely to be one of them. It seems reasonable to assume that there will be weeks where a high number of complaints are submitted, and weeks where this number drops. This should not in any way detract our attention from the seriousness of the disinformation that continues to plague our social media and digital platforms.

In our weekly analysis, we also take a look at where the complaints originate from — in other words, where instances of alleged disinformation have been found and complaints submitted. For example, we see the number of positive Covid-19 cases in South Africa escalating significantly, and we seek to take precautions to help prevent the spread and keep loved ones safe. If you believe any of the above theories, where does it lead you?

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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