Covering coronavirus: an online course for journalists - First Draft

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Covering coronavirus: an online course for journalists

Alongside the coronavirus pandemic itself, an ‘infodemic’ also spiked around the world. Misleading or incorrect information about the disease, how it was passed on and how we could protect ourselves against it spread in much the same way as the virus itself.

Whether it was people pushing fake cures, conspiracy theories used to undermine opposition governments, hoax symptoms or funny memes, misinformation reduced trust and increased panic in our society. 

The lessons contained in this training course, which was originally launched in the height of the pandemic, are still very relevant now. The course will help content creators, technologists, policy legislators, researchers, teachers and journalists meet the many challenges posed by the spread of misinformation.

In this course you will learn:

  • How to understand information disorder, and how/why false information spreads
  • How to monitor for coronavirus-related information on the social web
  • The main tools and techniques for verifying content online
  • Best practice to slow down the spread of misinformation
  • How to look after your own mental health while covering a pandemic