I chose this Article , as i personally came across messages on whats app and Instagram that suggested to do this , and as we live in a state of fear , it is easier for people to believe such a statement.
First , The following Article is obviously a False/Fake News, i will be analyzing it through the GLAD concept , suggested to by the YouTube video “Top 4 Tips To Spot Bad Science Reporting “. As well as ,identifying types of misleading news, from Beyond fake news: Ten types of misleading information. issued by Media Literacy for Citizenship by EAVI (2017).
I have identified 5 types of misleading information in this article:
- Click-bait : as the title of the Article has the word “Expert” and “Simple” , it distracts the viewer by grabbing the attention of the viewer. adding can do it every morning, is misleading information , unrelated to what is being discussed in the article. As the First step is to get past the ClickBait , someone can think through that the CoronaVirus has been known for being hard to identify by scientists , so this simple proposition to the problem , reveals the misinformation and misleading content.
- Pseudo Science : As the information shared contradicts actual experts such as CDC or WHO’s latest guidance , which provide advice over the CoronaVirus situation. Holding your breath is not a way to self check for coronavirus and referring to this information being released by “Taiwan Experts”, or “Stanford Hospital Board”, is misleading and not accurate as the website Snopes ( Kasprak , 2020) shared” Stanford Health Care, for their part, explicitly stated they had nothing to do with the email.”
- Partisan : As the claim of the article is:” If you can hold your breath without coughing, discomfort, stiffness, or tightness, your lungs do not suffer from fibrosis and therefore you have no COVID-19 infection.” (Kasprak,2020) as it uses facts about corona symptoms to conform the narrative whilst forging the viewers. The usage of Emotional and Passionate Language, such as “it’s too late!” , “In critical times ,please self-check every morning in an environment with clean air!” , “SERIOUS EXCELLENT ADVICE”.
- Misinformation : the whole article includes a mix of factual , false and partly false content . As the article bases its “self-check” is an indicator of Fibrosis which is connected COVID-19 infections. These two are unsupported dissertations. As Pulmonary Fibrosis Is Not a Symptom of COVID-19, It is not listed as a symptom in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease,” ( Kasprak ,2020)
- Bogus: the whole article is fabricated , has content intentionally to dis inform people in such a pandemic time.
As there is a lot of Fake News spreading in this technological and Capitalist age , What is needed to move beyond the misinformation environment in 2020 by Chenjerai Kumanyika (2018). First , realizing that media nowadays is being controlled by “elities” and their main concern is power and wealth, makes media unreliable and calls on more independent journalists and media sources to establish themselves. Second, these powers take advantage of the ignorance of citizens about media , therefore according to Kumanyika(2018 ) establishing critical media and digital media literacy is important , by including in educational systems or by activists sharing content and campaigns with the public. Third, changing policies and laws to sustain a strong media Environment , as capitalism has taken advantage of the inundated terms of journalism and media , it has been an open playground , instead of a defined one.
I believe through time and spreading awareness , misinformation and capitalism will be exposed and as society changes , media will change to the better.
Team Bollyy ( Mar,4 2020) Taiwan Experts Provide A Simple Self-Check That We Can Do Every Morning . Retrieved From: https://bollyy.com/taiwan-experts-provide-a-simple-self-check-that-we-can-do-every-morning/
Alex Kasprak ( 11 MARCH 2020) No, Holding Your Breath is Not a ‘Simple Self-Check’ for Coronavirus. Retrieved From : https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/taiwan-experts-self-check/?collection-id=241238
Media and People 