Misinformation megaphone: Does news coverage of unscientific, hateful rhetoric amplify it?
Global News
Could journalists covering unscientific or hateful movements accidently disseminate those views to a wider audience?
It’s largely understood that journalists have an ethical obligation to report on movements that impact, and interest, the public.
That sometimes includes a duty to cover that which may not align with the scientific consensus, such as the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesting COVID-19 mandates. Despite unvaccinated truckers representing a minority of the population (12,000 to 15,000 individuals, or 10 to 15 per cent of truck drivers, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance), the president of the Canadian Association of Journalists says people need to know their pleas.
“There’s a significant public interest to understand why these people are protesting,” Brent Jolly told Global News over Zoom.
“It’s important to have the voices of those who are frustrated.”
But the situation has significantly evolved.
As the convoy seems to have dominated every news headline since its descent on Ottawa on Jan. 29, copycat protests have popped up in many parts of the globe.
In an almost paradoxical scenario, some are wondering whether news reporters had a hand in amplifying the minority’s movement — and inadvertently inspiring others along the way — in their bid to cover and debunk some of the claims being made.
Health officials working to immunize racial minorities in Toronto are already worried about the attention the convoy has gotten from the news, on social media and from funding donations.
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