Rumours and Misinformation

Many best wishes and huge thanks for considering engagement in this Reference Group. Really appreciated. In the initial invitation note I outlined the purpose and role of the Reference Group. When logged in you can review that invitation at this lin k Please let me know if you need me to send again. At the home page for this Private Group we have added the list of people invited.

So, if I may, lets plough into the first item on which we would really welcome your review.

No matter the segment of our common field of work, combatting rumours and misinformation is a high priority. I am sure that you deal with this as part of your work. We are experiencing this issue related to COVID-19. Combating rumours and misinformation is centrally important for health, environment, media development and journalism (accurate reporting), democracy and governance, HIV/AIDS, polio, gender, child rights and all other issues. Accurate information is vital for making progress and for credibility. Misinformation and rumours at best disrupt and at worst set back progress on some very important challenges - from expanding freedom of expression to basic public knowledge on a health concern.

As part of our work with UNICEF C4D Polio Communication (Rustam and Tommi are part of this Group) we have tried to develop a short strategy paper with 5 key steps for combatting rumours and misinformation. It is written in a way that (hopefully) makes the analysis and ideas outlined appropriate and helpful across all Development issues. Review of this draft by this private group of key and leading people in our common field of work is welcomed. You can access the draft at this link:

Overall, the papers we are developing, including this one for review, are in draft form. They draw from existing knowledge and experience. As each context will be different they are intended as starting points for planning and reviews. Even though these are complex and difficult issues we have tried to keep them as short as possible. There are links to key resources that we hope add additional support and guidance. They are drafts. We will welcome further comments and suggestions to strengthen these papers.

Three key questions:

1. Are these key strategies for combatting rumours and misinformation? If not, your suggestions?

2. If this came onto your screen would it be helpful? If not, how could it be made more helpful?

3. How do you react to the format? Does it work for a practical support and guidance document? Too long? Too short? Needs more detail? Is having a few selective links helpful?

Thanks for the reviews and comments. Please do keep them short - key points are fine as we are very aware how busy you are at this time.

To comment you can either log on at the Please click to review, comment and access any attachments link above and below this message ...

... or just reply by email and we will take it from there.

Much strength for your very important work - thanks again

Warren

Comments

Sue

Goldstein

Make sense, storytelling, connectivity

These are helpful - for me the most important is how to reach people without internet connectivity - everyone is so focussed on the web and social media they forget the many people in the south without access and who are at high risk because of their living conditions.

Storytelling is so important - I so wish that Soul City the TV vehicle was still around then the COVID story could entertain and engage as well as teach.

But in the current context what is also important is to pull out the important issues - help ordinary people like myself make sense of the mass of information that is being blasted at them.

Sue - thanks

Hi and many thanks for above. Related to your main point I agree that that process of (to use your words) "pull(ing) out the important issues - help ordinary people like myself make sense of the mass of information that is being blasted at them" is insufficiently highlighted and covered. Thanks again for taking the time to contribute - Warren

Your Review: Combating Rumours and Misinformation

To: The Communication Initiative Reference Group

Hi - trusting that yourself and loved ones are doing OK in this tough time for so many. Many thanks for engaging in this Reference Group process. It has been excellent to get such substantive feedback and critique on the initial draft shared:

The initial comments from Jamie , Sue , Neelima and Robert can be seen at those links or by scrolling down to the bottom of the private page (have to know the specific URL to access) at this link. Their critiques are extremely helpful. Thank you.

If combating rumours and information is a key challenge in your work, or you find this theme interesting, we hope that you found this draft paper helpful. But we want to ensure that we make the published paper that we communicate with the 100,000 in The CI network, as strong, relevant and helpful as it can be.

So if you have not provided comments and wish to do so please send them by Thursday, 28th May if at all possible. We have scheduled to make this paper available to the network on Monday, 2nd June.

To share your comments and critique within the Reference Group only please go to this page, review the text, scroll down and log in at the Comments block, enter your thoughts and click Save to submit. Alternatively. just reply to this email and we will take it from there.

Many thanks - hugely appreciate and value your engagement and guidance.

Warren

Neelima - thanks

Neelima - Hi and many thanks for taking the time to contribute the really helpful and substantive comments above. Will certainly take them all into account as we begin the process of completing the final paper. Thanks again - Warren

Update: Combating Misinformation and Rumours

To: The Reference Group

Excerpts from contributions to date with links:

Hi and best wishes. Just a quick update on the re-writing of the Combating Misinformation and Rumours paper. Given the critical reviews received I am taking a little longer than originally scheduled to undertake that rewrite - needed to give it a little more thought. Short excerpts follow from those much welcomed critical insights with links to the full submissions and some initial questions/responses from me. So, if you want to contribute to this critical review there are a couple more days. All views welcome.

From Neelima Mathur - Includes: "The western / northern attitude creeps up, albeit unintentionally. E.g.: Opening part of para 3 in The Challenge. My view: Is it really the gap between wealthy and poorer countries? I believe it is the disease control approach that countries choose to adopt. Italy, UK, USA are proof of no connect with the GDP-strategy / wealthy-poorer nations point vs number of beds / ventilators / health infrastructure."

From: Gemma Ferguson - Includes: "I think it needs some context also highlighting the different groups spreading misinformation via the internet / digital platforms and why they might be doing it."

From: Nicola Harford - Includes - " ... encourage social media users to check or question the sources of information they receive? There are still pitfalls with this approach. I have personally seen misinformation spread on Whatsapp groups that I belong to purporting to be from UNICEF ..."

From: Paolo Mefalopolous - Incudes: "I agree that facts alone are rarely convincing, but if anything this pandemic has confirmed the recennt trend that facts are seldom facts, that is media, politicians and experts are getting used to mix opinions, facts and wishes in a single category."

From: Jamie Guth - Includes: "What I usually structure communications around is 3 key elements drawn from Aristotle. He talked about evidence (what he called logos) as being just one component of the art of persuasion. He said we also need to pay attention to the credibility of the speaker (ethos) and the appeal to the emotions (pathos)."

From: Sue Goldstein - Includes: "... for me the most important is how to reach people without internet connectivity - everyone is so focussed on the web and social media they forget the many people in the south without access and who are at high risk because of their living conditions ... "

From Robert Cohen - Includes - "Being transparent about what is NOT known about COVID-19 is probably just as important about sharing what is known ... Recalling past success stories and lessons learned from previous pandemics might add authority to prescriptions and advice ..."

Please do submit any further thoughts and/or comment on the contributions from your colleagues on this Reference Group at Combating Misinformation and Rumours.

Just email reply or click on "Please click to review, comment and access any attachments with your contribution to this conversation" below and submit/save as a comment or reply.

When the paper is revised we will share with the 100,000 people in The CI Network in support of their strategic efforts to combat the rumours and misinformation detrimentally affecting their efforts on their priorities.

With many thanks - so very much appreciated - Warren

PS - Since the last communication more relevant knowledge from the network has been shared on:

The COVID-19 Communication and Community Engagement HUB
The Network for Shared Knowledge and Active Dialogue in Support of Effective COVID-19 Action

Reference Group: Combating Rumours and Misinformation - Final

To: The CI Reference Group

Hi everyone - hope that you are all keeping as well as possible in these trying times. Many thanks for engaging in this process.

Well, either I am slow or that old maxim of "I am sorry I wrote you a long letter; did not have time to write you a short one"w (Oscar Wilde?) applies.

Huge thanks for the really helpful and positive critical review and suggestions for the Combating Rumours and Information strategic guidance document. Invaluable.

At last I have finished the final version which can be reviewed at this link: Combating Misinformation and Rumours

A few notes:

1. I tried to both incorporate your comments and suggestions and keep this as succinct and short as possible.

2. In accordance with some of the comments there is a substantially different structure.

3. If you wish to compare to the initial draft it can be viewed at this link.

4. You can also review everyone's comments on that initial draft at this link.

5. We will make this public and begin to highlight this through the various The CI platforms over the weekend.

6. If you see anything really wrong in this final version and wish to highlight, please do.

7. Finally, as there is such a significant difference between the initial draft and the final version, I would be delighted if you wished to have your name associated with this guidance note. Of course the clear "contract" we outlined for being part of this reference group process was remaining anonymous. So it is very much at your discretion as to whether you would like your name included.