What is it about?
The article explores how Spanish public health institutions utilize YouTube to address and combat health-related misinformation. It examines the strategies these institutions employ, focusing on short, expert-led videos that fact-check false information. Initially, the content centered on COVID-19, especially vaccination campaigns, but later expanded to cover other health issues such as mental health, smoking, suicide prevention, respiratory infections, healthy diets, and child flu vaccines. The study highlights the growing importance of audiovisual social media in promoting media literacy and public health education, helping to rebuild trust and provide reliable information in an era marked by widespread misinformation.
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Why is it important?
Spanish public health institutions use YouTube to combat health disinformation through fact-checking videos featuring expert professionals who debunk myths and provide scientific information. This strategy is important because misinformation can seriously harm public health, and the audiovisual format on YouTube allows reaching a wide audience while building greater trust and engagement. Additionally, these videos receive more views and positive reactions than other content, demonstrating their effectiveness in improving media literacy and protecting the public from false health information.
Perspectives
From my perspective, I believe it is essential for public health institutions to use platforms like YouTube to combat health disinformation. I think that fact-checking carried out by expert professionals, presented in accessible and engaging audiovisual formats, is a key tool to improve media literacy in health and strengthen public trust in these institutions. Additionally, I believe it is necessary to combine these manual strategies with automated technologies to address the rapid spread of false information in the digital environment. For me, fighting health disinformation should be an institutional priority that leverages new communication methods to protect public health and promote informed decision-making.
Montserrat María Vázquez Gestal
Universidade de Vigo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Disinformation and health: fact-checking strategies of Spanish health public institutions through YouTube, Frontiers in Communication, May 2024, Frontiers,
DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1406852.
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