Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis

Paola Palomino-Flores; Ricardo Cristi-López; David Paul

doi:10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis

Paola Palomino-Flores
, Ricardo Cristi-López
, David Paul

Faculty of communication

Universidad Andrés Bello
University of Pennsylvania

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed global challenges in effectively communicating and preventing the spread of emergencies, amplified by the proliferation of fake news. Verification platforms played a crucial role in combating false information during the initial months of the outbreak. This study analyzes fake news prevalence in Peru during the COVID-19 crisis, using data from 114 viral news items on Facebook via the Chequeado verifier website, of which 70 were identified as fake. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating scientific, analytical-synthetic, and statistical methods, along with interviews and surveys, to uncover Facebook's significant role in the dissemination of misinformation and confusion by ant vaccine groups. The research highlights the urgent need for a collaborative strategy to counteract misinformation, utilizing real-time AI algorithms for detection and providing journalists with reliable data.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023
Editors	Daniel Barredo Ibáñez, Laura M. Castro, Araceli Espinosa, Iván Puentes-Rivera, Paulo Carlos López-López
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	223-233
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Print)	9789819977536
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21
State	Published - 2024
Event	International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies, ICOMTA 2023 - Puebla, Mexico Duration: 6 Sep 2023 → 8 Sep 2023

Publication series

Name	Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies
Volume	375
ISSN (Print)	2190-3018
ISSN (Electronic)	2190-3026

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies, ICOMTA 2023
Country/Territory	Mexico
City	Puebla
Period	6/09/23 → 8/09/23

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

COVID-19
Communication
Data visualization
Disinformation
Fake news
Infodemia

Access to Document

10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

Cite this

Palomino-Flores, P., Cristi-López, R., & Paul, D. (2024). Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis. In D. B. Ibáñez, L. M. Castro, A. Espinosa, I. Puentes-Rivera, & P. C. López-López (Eds.), Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023 (pp. 223-233). (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies; Vol. 375). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

Palomino-Flores, Paola ; Cristi-López, Ricardo ; Paul, David. / Unraveling the Truth : Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis. Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023. editor / Daniel Barredo Ibáñez ; Laura M. Castro ; Araceli Espinosa ; Iván Puentes-Rivera ; Paulo Carlos López-López. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. pp. 223-233 (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies).

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title = "Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis",

abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed global challenges in effectively communicating and preventing the spread of emergencies, amplified by the proliferation of fake news. Verification platforms played a crucial role in combating false information during the initial months of the outbreak. This study analyzes fake news prevalence in Peru during the COVID-19 crisis, using data from 114 viral news items on Facebook via the Chequeado verifier website, of which 70 were identified as fake. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating scientific, analytical-synthetic, and statistical methods, along with interviews and surveys, to uncover Facebook's significant role in the dissemination of misinformation and confusion by ant vaccine groups. The research highlights the urgent need for a collaborative strategy to counteract misinformation, utilizing real-time AI algorithms for detection and providing journalists with reliable data.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Communication, Data visualization, Disinformation, Fake news, Infodemia",

author = "Paola Palomino-Flores and Ricardo Cristi-L{\'o}pez and David Paul",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.; International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies, ICOMTA 2023 ; Conference date: 06-09-2023 Through 08-09-2023",

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Palomino-Flores, P, Cristi-López, R & Paul, D 2024, Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis. in DB Ibáñez, LM Castro, A Espinosa, I Puentes-Rivera & PC López-López (eds), Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol. 375, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 223-233, International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies, ICOMTA 2023, Puebla, Mexico, 6/09/23. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis. / Palomino-Flores, Paola; Cristi-López, Ricardo; Paul, David.
Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023. ed. / Daniel Barredo Ibáñez; Laura M. Castro; Araceli Espinosa; Iván Puentes-Rivera; Paulo Carlos López-López. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024. p. 223-233 (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies; Vol. 375).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Unraveling the Truth

T2 - International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies, ICOMTA 2023

AU - Palomino-Flores, Paola

AU - Cristi-López, Ricardo

AU - Paul, David

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed global challenges in effectively communicating and preventing the spread of emergencies, amplified by the proliferation of fake news. Verification platforms played a crucial role in combating false information during the initial months of the outbreak. This study analyzes fake news prevalence in Peru during the COVID-19 crisis, using data from 114 viral news items on Facebook via the Chequeado verifier website, of which 70 were identified as fake. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating scientific, analytical-synthetic, and statistical methods, along with interviews and surveys, to uncover Facebook's significant role in the dissemination of misinformation and confusion by ant vaccine groups. The research highlights the urgent need for a collaborative strategy to counteract misinformation, utilizing real-time AI algorithms for detection and providing journalists with reliable data.

AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed global challenges in effectively communicating and preventing the spread of emergencies, amplified by the proliferation of fake news. Verification platforms played a crucial role in combating false information during the initial months of the outbreak. This study analyzes fake news prevalence in Peru during the COVID-19 crisis, using data from 114 viral news items on Facebook via the Chequeado verifier website, of which 70 were identified as fake. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating scientific, analytical-synthetic, and statistical methods, along with interviews and surveys, to uncover Facebook's significant role in the dissemination of misinformation and confusion by ant vaccine groups. The research highlights the urgent need for a collaborative strategy to counteract misinformation, utilizing real-time AI algorithms for detection and providing journalists with reliable data.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Communication

KW - Data visualization

KW - Disinformation

KW - Fake news

KW - Infodemia

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85187802398

U2 - 10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

DO - 10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

M3 - Contribución a la conferencia

AN - SCOPUS:85187802398

SN - 9789819977536

T3 - Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies

SP - 223

EP - 233

BT - Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023

A2 - Ibáñez, Daniel Barredo

A2 - Castro, Laura M.

A2 - Espinosa, Araceli

A2 - Puentes-Rivera, Iván

A2 - López-López, Paulo Carlos

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Y2 - 6 September 2023 through 8 September 2023

ER -

Palomino-Flores P, Cristi-López R, Paul D. Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis. In Ibáñez DB, Castro LM, Espinosa A, Puentes-Rivera I, López-López PC, editors, Communication and Applied Technologies - Proceedings of ICOMTA 2023. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2024. p. 223-233. (Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies). doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-7210-4_21

Unraveling the Truth: Investigating the Spread of Fake News on Facebook During the COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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