A new Public
Health Expert Briefing warns that Aotearoa New
Zealand’s lack of awareness and monitoring of misinformation
leaves the country vulnerable to emerging false
narratives.
Dr John Kerr, lead author of the Briefing,
notes that several key initiatives addressing misinformation
have been dismantled over the past year. “Organisations that
tracked and reported on online content have recently closed,
and progress on new social media regulations has stalled,”
he says.
Dr Kerr says this creates a significant blind
spot for New Zealand, hindering the understanding of what
information people are encountering and how it may be
influencing their health choices and those of their
communities.
Misinformation—broadly defined as
harmful, inaccurate information—poses a genuine threat to
public health. Misleading information can lead to people
taking potentially harmful bogus cures, fuel vaccine
hesitancy, and ultimately undermine trust in science and
medicine.
Official reports from both New
Zealand and overseas, reviewed in the Public Health
Communication Centre Briefing, consistently highlight
misinformation as a pressing issue. These reports emphasise
the importance of monitoring online platforms to understand
the narratives and stories being
shared.
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Public surveys over the last
three years show that most New Zealanders are concerned
about misinformation, especially in the context of public
health.
According to Dr Kerr, a basic level of
investment is needed to listen to what is being shared on
public, online platforms and to identify key trends or
narratives that could lead to harmful health
outcomes.
Previous research commissioned by the
government has outlined a model of how New Zealand could set
up an organisation dedicated to keeping tabs on
misinformation. “So we already have a blueprint for how
this would work,” says Dr Kerr.
Such monitoring
would help public health practitioners and frontline health
staff understand the context of misleading information.
“This, in turn, would help them engage in empathetic
conversations and provide accurate information to counter
misinformation.”
“It is important to avoid
overstating the risks of misinformation,” says Dr Kerr.
“But without active monitoring and research in New
Zealand, we cannot accurately assess these risks or make
informed decisions on how to address
them.”
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