>>I AM PATTI BRENNAN
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE. WELCOME TO
THE NLM LECTURE ON SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY: IS
MISINFORMATION THE PROBLEM?
RE-EXAMINING THE INFODEMIC.
THIS SERIES ALLOWS YOU TO
EXPLORE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN
SOCIAL THINKING AND SCIENCE AND
TODAY WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE
RENEE DIRESTA, WITH THE TOPIC
CALLED NLM LECTURE ON SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY: IS
MISINFORMATION THE PROBLEM?
RE-EXAMINING THE INFODEMIC.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND. AS THE
COVID PANDEMIC IS SPREADING
ACROSS THE US SCIENTISTS AND
MITIGATION SPECIALIST WERE
DEALING WITH THE CHANGING
NATURE OF THE PANDEMIC AS WELL
AS WHAT WAS REFERRED TO IN A
NEGATIVE WAY AS INFODEMIC,
FALSELY MISLEADING INFORMATION
ABOUT THE DISEASE AND TREATMENT
AND VACCINES AND IN OUR TALK
TODAY RENEE WILL EXPLORE THE
DYNAMICS AND SHE IS TECHNICAL
RESEARCH MANAGER AT THE
STANFORD INTERNET OBSERVATORY
WHICH IS A CROSS DISCIPLINARY
PROGRAM OF RESEARCH, TEACHING
AND POLICY FOR THE STUDY, ABUSE
AND CURRENT INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVISED
CONGRESS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AND OTHER ACADEMIC, CIVIC AND
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS ARE SHE
STUDIED DISINFORMATION AND
COMPETITION PROPAGANDA IN THE
CONTEXT OF PSEUDOSCIENCE
CONSPIRACIES, TERRORISM AND
STATE-SPONSORED INFORMATION
WARFARE.
WAS ELECTED RENEE DIRESTA TO
SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE FIRST
IMPORTANT SHE STUDIES HOW
INFORMATION SYSTEMS CAN OR HAVE
BEEN ABUSED. IMPORTANTLY SHE
LOOKS AT HOW FALSE NARRATIVES
CAN SPREAD ACROSS CLASSROOMS
AND UNDERSTAND HOW ALGORITHMS
INTERSECT WITH USER BEHAVIOR.
RENEE IS ALSO DONE QUITE A BIT
OF WORK WITH CHILDHOOD
IMMUNIZATION HAS A PASSION FOR
TRUSTABLE PUBLIC HEALTH
INFORMATION, PARTICULAR
IMPORTANCE IN THE PANDEMIC AND
CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT
TOPIC FOR BOTH THE NIH AND THE
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY AT
LARGE AND RENEE WAS SCHOLARSHIP
PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TO US
BECAUSE THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE AS A COMMITMENT TO BE
A TRUSTED PARTNER IN HEALTH AND
A PROVIDER OF TRUSTABLE HEALTH
INFORMATION TO THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH COMMUNITY AS WELL AS
HUMAN HEALTH TO EVERYONE AND AM
EXCITED TO HAVE HER JOIN US
TODAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
YOUR COMMENTS.
I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO HER
THOUGHTS AND DURING HER TALK
TODAY YOU CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS
USING THE LIVE FEEDBACK BUTTON
ON THE VIDEOCAST AND LISA
FEDERER, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE
OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WILL
BE MONITORING AND PRESENTING
QUESTIONS AND NOW ENJOY
YOURSELF. THANK YOU.
>> RENEE: THANK YOU SO MUCH
PATTY FOR THAT INTRODUCTION. I
AM HONORED TO BE ASKED TO GIVE
THIS TALK TODAY AND REALLY
LOOKING FORWARD TO PRESENTING
SOME OF OUR WORK. IT IS GOING
TO BE A PANDEMIC NARRATIVE
FOCUS TALK AND I THOUGHT THAT
WOULD BE THE MOST RELEVANT AND
I WILL BE PRESENTING SOME OF
THE WORK THAT WE DID IN 2021.
THE TALK IS A LITTLE BIT
PREROGATIVE, IS MISINFORMATION
A PROBLEM?
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH WAYS
IN WHICH WE AS A RESEARCHER TO
DO THAN I AM AT THE STANFORD
INTERNET OBSERVATORY TRY TO
UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW
MISINFORMATION RELATED TO COVID
VACCINES AND THEN FOUND THAT
QUITE OFTEN WHAT WE WERE SEEING
WAS NOT ACCURATELY CLASSIFIED
AS MISINFORMATION AT ALL SO LET
ME DIVE IN.
SO, IN 2019, MANY OF US BEGAN
TO HEAR STORIES ABOUT HIGHLY
CONTAGIOUS AND HIGHLY FATAL
PNEUMONIA-- THAT WAS WHAT IT
WAS THOUGHT ABOUT ORIGINALLY--
SPREADING FROM CHINA. IN
STORIES OF CHINESE COMMUNIST
PARTY EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS THE
INCIDENT ALSO BEGAN TO EMERGE
AND THERE WERE PHYSICIANS
ATTENDED THE ALARM AND WERE
ARRESTED BY THE STATE. AND
OTHER STORIES-- THESE STORIES,
THESE FRONT-LINE PHYSICIANS--
LEAKED INTO THE NATIONAL MEDIAN
BECAME THE FACE OF THE STORY
INTERNATIONALLY, AND INCLUDING
SOME OF STORIES LIKE THE
OPTOMETRIST TRAGICALLY DIED,
CHINESE STATE MEDIA BEGAN
COMMENTING PUBLICLY ABOUT IT
AND THEY PUT A LOT OF CONTENT
OUT ON FACEBOOK, IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE FACEBOOK PAGES. WHAT
THEY TRY TO DO IS PUT A VERY
POSITIVE SPIN ON THINGS. EVEN
THIS DR. WHOMTHEY HAD ARRESTED
AND DETAINED, ALL OF A SUDDEN
BECAME A NATIONAL HERO. AND SO
THERE WAS AN EPIDEMIC SPREADING
IN CHINA.
AND WHAT BEGAN TO HAPPEN IS
THAT THE STORIES OF THE
PANDEMIC BEGAN TO EMERGE FAR
BEYOND CHINA. AS A CENTER OF
THAT STUDY AND WASTE NARRATIVE
SPREAD WE THINK ABOUT THINGS IN
THREE BIG BUCKETS:
MISINFORMATION WHICH IS CONTENT
THAT IS DEMONSTRABLY FALSE AND
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPREADING IT
ARE OFTEN DOING SO
ACCIDENTALLY, THERE IS SOME
SORT OF FALSE CLAIM THERE.
THERE IS DISINFORMATION WHERE
THERE IS A COORDINATED EFFORT,
THE COORDINATED CAMPAIGN, WITH
THE INTENT IS TO MISINFORM THE
PUBLIC AND MANIPULATE THE
PUBLIC AND OFTEN TIMES WHAT WE
SEE IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE IS
THERE IS A LOT OF FAKE ACCOUNTS
A LOT OF BEHAVIOR AND
INFORMATION MARKED BY THIS
DYNAMIC OF INAUTHENTICITY. AND
AS I MENTIONED PARTICULARLY FOR
STATE ACTORS COME INTO PLAY
PARTICULARLY STATE MEDIA, THERE
WAS QUITE A LOT OF PROPAGANDA
THAT OFTENTIMES IN HER PAST
WORK LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH
STATE ACTORS TALK ABOUT TOPICS
PARTICULARLY POLITICAL TOPICS
WE SEE THIS MIX OF
DISINFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA
CAMPAIGNS.
IN THE EARLY -- PROJECT WE
WERE LOOKING A STATE ACTOR
PROPAGANDA AND DISINFORMATION
CAMPAIGNS. WE WERE INTERESTED
IN WAYS IN WHICH DIFFERENT
NATIONSTATES WERE TRYING TO
SHAPE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF AN
EMERGING DISEASE, USING BOTH
THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NORMAL
MEDIA CHANNELS. IT WAS A FULL
MEDIA APPROACH FOR THESE ACTORS
AS THEY SPREAD DISINFORMATION
AND PROPAGANDA AND IT IS
IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THE
EXTENT TO WHICH THEY WERE USING
ALL OF THE CHANNELS AT THEIR
DISPOSAL TO DO IT.
BUT EVEN AS WE LOOKED AT THE
STATE PROPAGANDA AND
DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS WHAT
WE STARTED TO NOTICE IS THAT
BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC IS MOBILE,
DIFFERENT NARRATIVES WERE
ATTRACTING PUBLIC ATTENTION AT
VERY DIFFERENT TIMES. SO EARLY
ON, FAR BEFORE FEBRUARY 2020,
PEOPLE INSIDE THE STATION PARTS
OF NORTH AFRICA WERE TALKING
ABOUT HYDROXY CHLOROQUINE. THEY
WERE VERY INTERESTED IN HYDROXY
CHLOROQUINE AND WHETHER THIS
WOULD BE SOME SUCCESSFUL
TREATMENT AS IT BEGAN TO SPREAD
OUT OF CHINA INTO SOUTHEAST
ASIA AND THEN FROM THERE TO THE
REST OF THE WORLD. MENTIONS OF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE FOLLOW THIS
INTERESTING PATH AS THIS IS
TWOFOLD STARTED TO SEE THE
NARRATIVES OF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE POP UP AND
WHAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT
OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WERE
FAMILIAR WITH THE DRUG AND HAVE
USED IT AS ANTIMALARIAL-- YOU
HAVE NOT SEEN IT IN THE UNITED
STATES USE VOCATIONAL MENTIONS
IN THE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
COMMUNITIES-- IT TAKES A POTENT
DOMESTIC INFLUENCER TO MAKE
THIS AVAILABLE AND OF COURSE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF
COURSE IS THAT NOBODY KNEW IF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE WORK AND
THIS NARRATIVE WAS DONE MONTHS
AND MONTHS AFTER IT HAD SPREAD
AND SO WOULD YOU START TO SEE
EVEN IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES
OF THE PANDEMIC IS MASSIVE
PUBLIC ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE
CLAIMS OF CURES THAT RECEIVE
SIGNIFICANT LEFT FROM PEOPLE
WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF
INFLUENCE. THAT COULD BE SOCIAL
MEDIA INFLUENCERS, NATIONAL
POLITICIANS OR AUTHORITY
FIGURES. AND SO THERE IS THIS
LAG OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN WHEN A
TOPIC BECOMES KNOWN TO THE
PUBLIC AND WHEN IT GOES VIRAL,
AND OF COURSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY
FIND THAT THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER UNTIL MUCH, MUCH LATER
SO THIS BEGINS TO HAPPEN OVER
AND OVER AGAIN. THERE ARE MANY
STORIES OF THINGS THAT ARE
THOUGHT TO CURE THIS DISEASE
EVEN AS THE DISEASE IS NOT WELL
UNDERSTOOD, AND THE CURES ARE
NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD.
SO, GOES WITH THE THINGS IN
THE REALM OF NOT TOTALLY SURE
TO YET AND A LOT OF PUBLIC
ATTENTION TO TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT IS TRUE OR NOT TRUE.
AND THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE
DEMONSTRABLY FALSE, THIS VIDEO
WENT VIRAL, DOZENS AND DOZENS
OF FACT CHECKS TRYING TO REFUTE
THIS HALF-HOUR VIDEO INCLUDING
MICROBES IN THE SPEECH THAT
WOULD CURE US, WHICH THE
GOVERNMENT HAD IS WHY THE
GOVERNMENT HAD SHUT DOWN THE
BEACHES AND WAS CLEARLY FALSE
CLAIMS. THERE WERE SO MANY
DIFFERENT FALSE CLAIMS
PRESENTED ALL AT ONCE IT
BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT FOR
DEBUNKERS TO TRY TO GET
ACCURATE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
AND SO WE WERE INTERESTED IN
AGAIN JUST HOW THESE NARRATIVES
WERE SPREADING, AND SO WE WERE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS
PARTICULAR ONE AS WELL. AND WE
STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROUPS
ON FACEBOOK-- PUBLIC GROUPS ON
FACEBOOK-- THE VIDEO AND THE
PEOPLE MENTIONED IN IT, WE DID
A STUDY IN THIS THE GRAPH FROM
A BLOG WHERE WE WROTE ON IT AND
WE STARTED TO NOTICE LEVELS OF
HIGH SALIENCE TO ANTI-VACCINE
COMMUNITIES EARLY ON AND YOU
STARTED TO SEE THE TOP OF THE
GRAPHICS THE NUMBER OF POSTS OF
PEOPLE WHO WERE SHARING THIS
CONTRACT, AND AT THE BOTTOM IS
TOTAL INTERACTION WITH THE
CONTENT AND RECLASSIFIED IT
LIKE 19,000 DIFFERENT GROUPS,
DIFFERENT PUBLIC GROUPS, WHERE
THIS CONTENT WOUND UP AND WE
TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WERE
THESE GROUPS WERE MAINLY
TALKING ABOUT.
IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WERE
NOT ONLY ANTI-VACCINE GROUPS
ARE IS VERY COMMON TO SEE
ANTI-VACCINE CONTENT IN
ANTI-VACCINE GROUPS, BUT WHEN
YOU START TO SEE CONTENT
PARTICULARLY HIGHLY
CONSPIRATORIAL CONTENT LIKE
THIS TO GET MASSIVE PICKUPS--
THERE IS A PURPLE LINE
UNDERNEATH IT WHICH IS CALLED
MISCELLANEOUS. AND WHAT WAS
VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THE
MISCELLANEOUS GROUPS WAS THAT
THESE WERE GROUPS LIKE THE
CORGI CLUB OF A PARTICULAR
LOCATION IN CONNECTICUT.
GROUPS THAT NORMALLY TALK ABOUT
GUITARS. GROUPS THAT NORMALLY
TALKED ABOUT COMPLETELY
UNRELATED CULTURAL THINGS
NEIGHBORHOODS AND STUFF LIKE
THAT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN WHAT YOU
STARTED TO SEE IS A
PROLIFERATION OF DISCOUNTED
INTERGROUP THE NORMALLY PAID NO
ATTENTION TO THIS TOPIC. AND
THAT FOR US WAS A VERY
INTERESTING SIGNAL. IT SHOWED
THAT THIS CONTENT WAS HAVING
RESIDENTS WITH FAR MORE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE, FAR
MORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
AUDIENCES THAN THE NORMAL
ANTI-VACCINE SPACE WHERE IT IS
COMMON TO FIND THE STUFF IN.
SO THE VIDEO GOES WILDLY VIRAL
AND AFTER EIGHT OR 10 MILLION
VIEWS, THE PLATFORM IS TAKEN
DOWN. THIS IS WHERE YOU START
TO SEE THE NARRATIVE SHIFTS TO
CENSORSHIP. AND THEN THIS VIDEO
HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED TO A NUMBER
OF PROBLEMS IN THE PLATFORMS
STARTED PLAYING WHACK-A-MOLE AS
PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO
REUPLOADED. AND IT CREATES
VERY MUCH A BACKFIRE HAPPENS AS
THE PLATFORMS TRIED TO CENSOR
IT BUT OF COURSE THERE IS NOT
MUCH POINT IN DOING THAT. IT
WAS A VERY QUESTIONABLE
DECISION, BUT IT WAS WHAT THEY
CHOSE TO DO.
SO, AS THIS WAS HAPPENING, AS
WE WERE SEEING-- WE HAD A SET
OF PROJECTS WHERE WE HAD A VERY
INTERNATIONAL FOCUS. WE WERE
CURIOUS HOW THESE NARRATIVES
WILL BE RECEIVED OVERSEAS, AND
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT
PANDEMIC VIDEO, EVEN AS THE
FACT CHECK WAS COMING OUT IN
THE UNITED STATES, THE VIDEO
BEGAN TO GO VIRAL TRANSLATED
INTO OTHER LANGUAGES. THERE WAS
NO TRANSLATION OF THE FACT
CHECK, AND SO AGAIN YOU SEE
THIS OFFSET OR THE VIRAL
CONTENT AND HITS PEOPLE, IT IS
RESONANT AND IT TAKES MULTIPLE
DAYS TO GET THE FACTS OUT. THE
COMMUNITIES REJECT THE FACT
CHECK AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT TO TRUST AND THAT IS THE
DYNAMIC THAT HAPPENS A LOT.
THE CORGI CLUB WHO SAW THE
CONTENT THEY TRIED TO FACT
CHECK TO SEE WHAT IS MOST
AUTHENTIC IN THE TRUST SCIENCE
AND NATURE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW
THEY CAN TRUST YOU BECAUSE
AFTER ALL THIS VIDEO SAYING
THAT GOVERNMENT AND
INSTITUTIONS ARE TRYING TO KEEP
PEOPLE FROM FINDING OUT. YOU
SEE A LOT OF THIS DYNAMIC WHERE
THE FACT CHECK IS NOT-- PEOPLE
ARE HESITANT AROUND WHETHER OR
NOT TO BELIEVE IT.
SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE
GOING TO UNDERTAKE THE STUDY.
AND LOOK AT WHAT COVID
NARRATIVES AROUND THE VACCINE
AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT LATER,
WE STARTED TO SEE THE VACCINE
ROLLOUT AND IN ANTICIPATION OF
THAT WE STARTED PAYING
ATTENTION TO NARRATIVES ABOUT
THE VACCINE AND WE WERE VERY
INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING
WHETHER WE WOULD SEE THE SAME
PATTERNS, THE SAME HOPS FROM
ONE COMMUNITY INTO ANOTHER
COMMUNITY AND WHETHER WE WOULD
SEE PLATFORMS MODERATE FAR
ALONG AFTER-THE-FACT OR EARLY.
HOW THEY WOULD MODERATE,
PLATFORMS HAD DIFFERENT TYPES
OF MODERATION WE WILL TALK
ABOUT THAT LITTLE BIT. WERE
VERY INTERESTED IN
UNDERSTANDING WHAT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN WITH VACCINE NARRATIVES,
SO WE UNDERTOOK THIS PROJECT
ALL THE VIRALITY PROJECT.
IT DREW VERY HEAVILY ON
EXISTING RESEARCH INTO VACCINE
HESITANCY. VACCINE HESITANCY IS
AN EXTREME THE OLD PHENOMENON,
AND YOU CAN PULL UP THE BRITISH
MEDICAL JOURNAL AND YOU CAN
LOOK BACK AT LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR IN THE 1800S AND THE
MEMBERS OF THE ANTI-VACCINATION
ARGUING THAT THE SMALLPOX
INOCULATION RETURNED TO HUMAN
COW, AND THE DISTINCTION WAS
CARRIED OUT IN THE LETTERS TO
THESE MEDICAL JOURNALS.
AND SO WITH THIS VERY LARGE
BODY OF HESITANCY LITERATURE,
WITH EACH NEW VACCINE YOU SEE
WHAT ACTUALLY TURNS OUT TO BE
VERY SIMILAR NARRATIVES. WE
DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DRAW ON
THE EXISTING LITERATURE TO TRY
TO DO OUR STUDY OF VACCINE
NARRATIVES RELATED TO COVID.
AND THIS IS AN IMAGE OF A FINAL
REPORT AT THE VIRALITY
PROJECT.ORG.
ROUGHLY SPEAKING WE LOOKED AT
NARRATIVES AND WE LOOKED AT
ACTORS AND TACTICS AND THEN WE
LOOKED AT PLATFORM POLICIES.
THAT IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT
FAXING HESITANCY AND VACCINE
NARRATIVES TODAY IS THAT THEY
ARE HAVING A SOCIAL MEDIA.
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF THE
COMMUNICATION CHANNEL AND HOW
THOSE NARRATIVES SPREAD AS I
MENTIONED YOU CAN OBSERVE WHICH
PUBLIC COMMUNITIES ARE SHARING
THIS CONTENT AND HELP FROM
POLICIES WERE EITHER ENABLING
OR REDUCING THE SPREAD OF
CERTAIN TYPES OF CONTENT. THAT
WAS THE WORK THAT WE SET OUT TO
DO.
SO, WE DECIDED WE WERE GOING
TO LOOK AT VACCINE NARRATIVES
THAT FELL INTO FOUR VERY
WELL-ESTABLISHED CATEGORIES AND
THESE WERE DRAWN FROM ANACOTA
AND KAREN (CORRECTION) TERRENCE
SMITH AND WHETHER OR NOT THE
VACCINES WERE SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE NARRATIVES ABOUT
DISTRIBUTION AND THIS WAS WHO
SHOULD GET THE VACCINE? SHOULD
THE VACCINE BE REQUIRED? A LOT
OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND
MANDATES THAT KIND OF FELL INTO
THAT DISTRIBUTION BUCKET AND
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE FOURTH
BUCKET THAT WE CALLED
CONSPIRACY AND AGAIN THE
ACADEMIC DEFINITION, THIS IS
CONTENT WHERE IT IMPUTES A
DELIBERATE ACTION TO SOMEBODY.
IT SAYS THAT THE VACCINE IS
UNSAFE. BECAUSE A CABAL OF EVIL
BILLIONAIRES WHO WANT TO REDUCE
THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD.
THE VACCINE IS UNSAFE IS ONE
PIECE OF IT BUT WHERE YOU HAVE
THE CONSPIRACY LAYER, THE
ARGUMENT IS THAT IT IS
HAPPENING FOR A PURPOSE AND
SOMEONE IS RESPONSIBLE.
SO WE STARTED TO OBSERVE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT NARRATIVES THAT WERE
GOING VIRAL. AND SO SOMETIMES
THEY WERE-- THIS IS THE KIND OF
CONTENT THAT WE SAW IN THE
SAFETY CATEGORY-- WE HAD THESE
FIRST-PERSON VIDEOS AND ADVERSE
REACTIONS. THERE WAS A LOT OF
THAT. IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW
IF THAT CONTENT IS AUTHENTIC.
IF THE REACTION IS ACTUALLY
TIED TO THE VACCINE. BUT THESE
ARE WILDLY POPULAR VIDEOS
BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE VERY, VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND THE
VIDEOS ARE OFTEN VERY HARD TO
WATCH AND THERE IS THIS DYNAMIC
WHERE THE NARRATIVE OF THE
VACCINES DANGERS WHICH IS
HEAVILY SUPPORTED BY THESE
FIRST-PERSON VIDEOS.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER
THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO OCCUR,
THAT THE VACCINE REALLY KILL
YOU AND ALTER YOUR DNA AND
CONTAIN TOXIC SUBSTANCES. THE
TOXIC SUBSTANCES OFTENTIMES
VEERED INTO THE CONSPIRATORIAL,
THERE WAS A WHOLE MOVEMENT OF
THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF
SNAKE VENOM COMPOUNDING THE
VACCINE. THERE WERE A LOT OF
ARGUMENTS THAT THE VACCINE HAD
NOT BEEN PROPERLY TESTED. AND
THERE WERE MANY THEORIES ABOUT
THE VACCINE ADVERSE REPORTING
SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN IN
EXISTENCE FOR MANY DECADES AND
IT IS A COMMUNITY REPORTED--
ANYONE CAN FILE A REPORT AND
OFTEN TIMES PHYSICIANS FILE
REPORTS IN WHICH PEOPLE
INDICATE THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY
HAVE HAD A REACTION TO THE
VACCINE. AND THE PURPOSE OF
THE VACCINE ADVERSE REPORTING
SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY FOR FOLKS IN
CDC AND ELSEWHERE TO MONITOR
REACTION REPORT SO THEY CAN
DECIDE IF THERE IS IN FACT
RECENT TO POTENTIALLY HALT
ADMINISTRATION OF A VACCINE. SO
VERS HAS A VERY HIGH END REAL
IMPORTANT PURPOSE OF WHAT YOU
START TO SEE DURING COVID IS
THAT THEIR LONGTIME
ANTI-VACCINE ADVOCATES
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO FILE
VERS REPORTS AND PUTTING IT OUT
THERE CONSTANTLY. YOU CAN PULL
DOWN THE DATA SETS WHICH ARE
PUBLIC AND LOOK AT THEM. THERE
ARE A LOT OF CLAIMS THAT ARE
EXTREMELY VAGUE, I HAD A LIGHT
FEVER AFTER THE VACCINE AND
AFTER THE REPORT IS FILED,
STATISTICS ARE PRESENTED IN
SUCH A WAY AS IF TENS OF
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE ALL OF A
SUDDEN FINE REPORT BECAUSE THEY
HAVE HAD TERRIBLE REACTIONS TO
THE VACCINE.
AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE AGAIN,
A GRAIN OF TRUTH IN THE WAY THE
PUBLIC PROCESSES IT DEPENDS ON
WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY
UNDERSTAND WHAT VERS IS.
AND THEN THERE IS THE ADVOCACY
NARRATIVES FOCUS ON THE IDEA
THAT THE VACCINE IS NOT WORKING
ONE THING THAT IS INTERESTING
IS EVEN TALKING ABOUT THESE
LIES TODAY, DEPENDING ON WHEN
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE DATA,
EARLY EFFICACY FOR THE FIRST
WAVE OF COVID AND THE FIRST
BATCH OF VACCINES LOOKS QUITE
HIGH. BUT EFFICACY IS
POTENTIALLY NOT AS HIGH IN
DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF THE
DISEASE OF THE DISEASE MUTATES.
WHAT YOU START TO SEE IS EVEN
DISCUSSING, EVEN TALKING ABOUT
THE CHALLENGE OF ASSESSING
WHETHER A NARRATIVE AROUND
EFFICACY IS TRUE OR FALSE,
OFTENTIMES IT IS VERY TIME
BOUNDED AND THIS CREATES AN
INTERESTING DYNAMIC, ALSO
AFTER-THE-FACT AND PEOPLE CAN
SAY NO, IT NEVER WORKED ANYWAY
BECAUSE IT DOES NOT WORK NOW.
AND SO THIS BECOMES AN
INTERESTING CHALLENGE AT THE
DIFFERENT VARIANTS BEGAN TO
UNFOLD OVER THE COURSE OF US
DOING OUR WORK.
AGAIN, THE BULLETS ON THE
SLIDES ARE NOT MAKING A CLAIM
WHETHER THE NARRATIVES ARE TRUE
OR FALSE, SIMPLY THESE ARE THE
THINGS WE SAW THAT FELL IN THE
EFFICACY BUCKET. THE SAME
THING WITH DISTRIBUTION. THE
MOST COMMON THEMES WE SAW WITH
THE IDEA THAT VACCINES WERE
DEVELOPED FOR PROFIT AND THE
DISTRIBUTION IS TIED TO PHARMA
PROFITS AND VACCINE MANDATES
VIOLATE MEDICAL FREEDOM AGAIN
VERY POLITICAL OPINION YOU CAN
FOLLOW ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER OF
IT BUT HE WAS VERY POPULAR.
VACCINE PASSPORT COMPROMISE
PRIVACY AND AGAIN THE SAME
THING. YOU CAN MAKE THESE
TRADE-OFF ARGUMENTS BUT THESE
WERE THE TYPES OF THEMES WE
WERE SEEING RELATED TO
DISTRIBUTION.
AND THEN CONSPIRACY AS I
MENTIONED YOU SEE THINGS REALLY
BLENDED, WHERE IT IS NOT JUST
THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM THE
VACCINE-- WHICH IS ONE CLAIM--
IT IS THAT IN FACT IT IS A
PREMEDITATED MASS MURDER. THE
VACCINES ARE NEW WORLD BLOCKED
WITH THIS POPULATION AND THIS
IS WHERE YOU START TO SEE THESE
FALSE AND MISLEADING CLAIMS
THAT ARE AGAIN ATTRIBUTING
MALCONTENT TOO OFTEN
INSTITUTIONS AND AUTHORITY
FIGURES. AND THESE BECOME QUITE
PROMINENT.
SO, THERE IS INTERESTINGLY,
EVEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
MOST RIDICULOUS OF THESE THE
IDEA IS THAT THE VACCINE IS
MAKING YOU MAGNETIC YOU WOULD
THINK THIS IS THE SORT OF THING
THAT MIGHT BE ROUNDLY MOCKED.
WHAT YOU START TO SEE IS THERE
IS THE INITIAL SET OF CLAIMS
THAT THE VACCINE IS MADE PEOPLE
MAGNETIC. THERE IS
AMPLIFICATION OF THESE CLAIMS
BY LONGTIME ANTI-VACCINE
ADVOCATES. THEN THROUGHOUT,
AFTER OF THE THING HIT PUBLIC
AWARENESS PARTICULARLY ON A
PLATFORM LIKE TICK-TOCK YOU
START TO SEE PEOPLE MOCKING THE
IDEA SO THERE IS A COUNTER
SPEECH THROUGH MOCKERY, THE
IDEA THAT IS ALL VERY
RIDICULOUS AND WE SHOULD NOT
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. SO THERE IS
THAT EFFORT TO RESTORE SOME
COMMON SENSE TO THE
CONVERSATION. BUT THEN YOU DO
SEE, AGAIN THIS IS A LONGTIME
ANTI-VACCINE PHYSICIAN, AND SHE
IS A BELIEVER NEPHROLOGIST,
AND WHAT YOU START TO SEE IS
THIS TESTIMONY BEFORE A
LEGISLATURE, THAT THESE
VACCINES ARE DANGEROUS AND THAT
THEY ARE ACTUALLY MAKING PEOPLE
MAGNETIC. IT MAKES ITS WAY FROM
THE INTERNET INTO THE PUBLIC
CONVERSATION.
SO, AGAIN AS I MENTIONED, --
AND SMITH HAVE BOTH DONE
WORKING WHERE THEY DETAILED IS
YOUR CURRENT CAST OF CHARACTERS
ARE ONE OF THE INTERESTING
PIECES OF THIS IS THAT IT
REALLY SPEAKS TO WHO DOES THE
PUBLIC TRUST? WHAT KIND OF
VACCINE NARRATIVES? WHERE DO
THEY COME FROM? HOW DO PEOPLE
RECEIVE THEM WHEN THEY COME
FROM A PERSON THAT THEY SEE AS
BEING JUST LIKE THEM, AND
HAVING THEIR BEST INTEREST AT
HEART?
AND SO IN AN EARLIER VACCINE
CONVERSATION, AROUND FALSE AND
MISLEADING NARRATIVES AROUND
VACCINES, YOU SEE PEOPLE WITH
MEDICAL DEGREES WHO ARE
ANTI-VACCINE MAKING PARTICULAR
CLAIMS AGAINST VACCINES AND YOU
CAN SAY WELL THERE IS A DOCTOR
OVER HERE WHO AGREES WITH ME SO
MY OPINION IS VALID.
SO THERE IS REALLY THAT VERY
STRONG COMPONENT. DO I TRUST
THIS MESSENGER? AND WHAT WE
STARTED TO SEE WITH THE COVID
VACCINES IS THAT THE MESSAGES
ARE NOT JUST COMING FROM
PHYSICIANS AND THESE SORT OF
LONG-STANDING METROHEALTH
INFLUENCERS, AND PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN PART OF THE
CONVERSATION BUT VERY QUICKLY
MOVES INTO POLITICAL IDENTITY.
AND VERY, VERY QUICKLY IT
BECOMES HIGHLY POLARIZED AROUND
PARTISAN IDENTITY IN PARTICULAR.
WHEREAS THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN
SOME ARGUMENTS AROUND LIBERTY
IN PAST VACCINE CONVERSATIONS,
BECOMES VERY MUCH FRONT AND
CENTER IN THE COVID
CONVERSATION YOU START TO SEE
HIGH CORRELATIONS IN SURVEYS,
STUDIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT
ACTUAL VACCINE UPTAKE IN WHICH
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STRONGLY
RIGHT-LEANING HAVE MUCH LOWER
VACCINATION RATES THAT
COMMUNITIES ARE LEFT-LEANING,
AND YOU START TO SEE THE IMPACT
OF NARRATIVES AND THE IMPACT OF
THE IDENTITY DRIVEN NARRATIVE,
THIS PARTISAN IDENTITY, THE
ADOPTION OF BOTH THERE ARE
ANTI-MANDATE ARGUMENTS AND
OFTEN TIMES THE ANTI-MANDATE
ARGUMENTS TIED INTO A FALSE
CLAIM AROUND THE VACCINES AND
THE SITE WILL TALK ABOUT IN A
LITTLE BIT THAT BECOME VERY
CHALLENGING AS SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES TRY TO DECIDE ABOUT
WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
PROBABLY SPEAKING THIS IS OUR
CAST OF CHARACTERS OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE ABLE TO MAKE VACCINE
RELATED NARRATIVES GO VIRAL.
SO, PLATFORM POLICIES. THERE
ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS. WE WERE
LOOKING AT ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT-- MANY OF THEM, A
SURPRISINGLY NUMBER OF THEM PUT
A VACCINE RELATED POLICIES AND
TYPICALLY THOSE THAT HAVE NOT
GONE THAT ROUTE OFTENTIMES
FOCUSED THEIR MODERATION
POLICIES MORE STRONGLY AROUND
USER INTERACTIONS AND
HARASSMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT
AND DO BECOME INTERESTED IN HOW
TO AVOID SPREADING PANIC. AND
HOW TO AVOID SPREADING FALSE
INFORMATION. HOW TO AVOID
SPREADING WHAT COMES TO BE
CALLED ANTI-VACCINE
MISINFORMATION UNDER PLATFORM.
AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE, WE
DID THIS FINAL REPORT TO THE
PRESENT EARLY ON, THE
SCREENSHOT, THAT HAS AN ENTIRE
CHAPTER THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS AT
PLATFORM POLICIES AND HOW THEY
EVOLVED THEIR POLICIES OVER
TIME.
AND SO, WE MADE THESE TABLES
THAT SAID, DOES THIS PLATFORM
HAVE A POLICY ABOUT THIS TOPIC?
AND MADE A SERIES OF CHARTS TO
TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF
HOW DIFFERENT PLATFORMS SOLVE
THE ECOSYSTEM. AND SO ONE OF
THE REASONS FOR DOING THIS IS
BECAUSE PLATFORMS CAN EITHER
REMOVE, REDUCE OR INFORM THE
THREE BUCKETS OF MODERATION.
REMOVE MEANS THEY TAKE IT DOWN
LIKE A PANDEMIC VIDEO, THEY
TRIED TO GET RID OF IT.
PRODUCE MEANS THEY REDUCE
DISTRIBUTION SO THE NARRATIVE
IS ALLOWED TO STAY UP ON THE
PLATFORM, BUT THEY TRY TO AVOID
RECOMMENDING IT TO MORE PEOPLE.
IF YOU FOLLOW AN ACCOUNT THAT
PUTS IT OUT YOU MIGHT SEE IT;
IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW AN ACCOUNT
TO PUT IT OUT THEY ARE SUPPOSED
TO NOT PUSH IT TO YOU. THAT IS
HOW THAT REDUCED POLICY WORKS.
SIMILARLY IF IT IS SOMETHING
WHERE THERE'S THE RECOMMENDER
SYSTEM-- YOU DON'T SEE
EVERYTHING FROM A PERSON
FOLLOWING, IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE
MISUNDERSTAND-- SO IT REDUCES
IT AMONG THE SERIES OF POSTS
THAT THE PLATFORM CHOOSES FROM
WHEN IT IS CREATING YOUR FEED.
THAT IS HOW REDUCE WORKS.
AND INFORM IS WHAT IT SOUNDS
LIKE, THEY PUT OUT A LABEL AND
TRY TO GET A FACT CHECK AND
THEY TRIED TO PUT A FACT CHECK
ON THE CONTENT. OFTENTIMES AND
IN SOME OF OUR PRIOR PROJECTS,
WE HAVE MUCH MORE CAPACITY TO
REALLY SEE WHAT TYPE OF
INTERVENTION THE PLATFORM USED
THE MOST OFTEN. LABELING IS
ACTUALLY A VERY, VERY POPULAR
BECAUSE AGAIN THEY ARE ALLOWING
THE CONTENT TO STAND, BUT THEY
ARE PUTTING CONTRACT AROUND IT.
IN THE WAY IT IS MORE LIKE
COUNTER SPEECH THEN SOMETHING
LIKE YOU REMOVE WHICH IS MORE
LIKE CENSORSHIP. THAT IS A
SPECTRUM OF PLATFORM MODERATION
TOOLS.
THIS IS A RUBRIC UNDER WHICH
PLATFORMS TRIED TO HANDLE THE
CONTENT THAT WAS OFTEN GOING
VIRAL ON THEIR SITES. SO YOU
CAN IMAGINE AS I WAS MENTIONING
EARLY ON, NARRATIVES ABOUT
SAFETY FOR EXAMPLE IN WHICH
PEOPLE WERE UPLOADING CONTENT,
THERE IS A REAL TRADE-OFF
THERE, YOU CANNOT LABEL IT. YOU
CANNOT TAKE IT DOWN AND THERE
ARE TRADE-OFFS WITH THREE
EXPRESSIONS. THE PLATFORM IS
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH SIDE
OF THE LINE TO FALL ON AS THEY
EVALUATE WHICH OF THESE
MODERATION TOOLS TO USE.
SO THEY TRY IN THEIR POLICIES
TO MAINTAIN THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN FACTUALLY INACCURATE
MISINFORMATION VS. PERSONAL
STORIES OR POLITICAL ARGUMENTS,
MEDICAL FREEDOM ARGUMENTS. THE
SET OF POLICIES ACTUALLY DATES
BACK NOT TO COVID BUT THE
MEASLES OUTBREAKS THAT HAPPEN
IN BROOKLYN, AND AMERICAN SAMOA
IN 2019 WHERE YOU FIRST STARTED
TO SEE THE PLATFORM SAYING HEY,
MISINFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES
IS HAVING AN IMPACT. IT IS
CAUSING OUTBREAKS IN CERTAIN
PARTS OF THE WORLD. WE SHOULD
BE ELEVATING AUTHORITATIVE
SOURCES. WE SHOULD NOT BE
ACCEPTING FOR EXAMPLE AD
DOLLARS FROM ANTI-VACCINE
ACTIVISTS WHO WANT TO BOOST
THEIR CONTENT BUT AT THE SAME
TIME THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SAYING VACCINES CAUSE
AND ENLISTING A SIDE EFFECT OR
PROBLEM THEY THINK THEY CAUSED
VS. SAYING I DON'T THINK THEY
SHOULD BE REQUIRED. WHICH IS A
STATEMENT OF POLITICAL OPINION.
THIS IS THE LINE THAT YOU SEE
THE PLATFORMS BEGIN TO TRY TO
WALK, AS THEY TRY TO AVOID OVER
MODERATION OR FALLING INTO
CENSORSHIP.
WHAT YOU START TO SEE DURING
COVID IS THAT EVEN AS THESE
POLICIES WERE DEVELOPED AROUND
MEASLES OUTBREAKS, PEOPLE
REALLY UNDERSTOOD MEASLES AS A
DISEASE. SCIENTISTS HAVE RUN
TESTS ON THE MMR VACCINE SAFETY
IN STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN
CONDUCTED FROM NEGATIVE ITS
POINT IN PART BECAUSE OF
CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT
VACCINE THEORIES CAUSING
AUTISM, AND WHAT YOU START TO
SEE IS CERTAIN DISEASES OR
CERTAIN VACCINES WHERE THE
STUDIES ARE QUITE ROBUST, THEY
HAVE A LOT OF AUTHORITATIVE
INFORMATION AND A LOT OF
AUTHORITATIVE CONTENT. AND WITH
COVID THEY DON'T AND SO THERE
IS THIS CHALLENGE THAT START TO
HAPPEN WHERE INSTITUTIONS ARE
RETICENT. THEY DON'T WANT TO
SPEAK UP ABOUT WHAT THEY KNOW
ABOUT THE DISEASE OR HOW IT
SPREADS, ABOUT COVID, AND WHAT
IS GOING ON AND WHAT CURES
ACTUALLY WERE. THEY ARE WAITING
ON THE FACT TO COME OUT. AND
FOR THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO
GATHER THOSE FACTS.
WHAT YOU START TO SEE IS THERE
IS A TIME DELAY. SCIENCE IS NOT
HAPPENING ON THE TIMESCALE OF
TWITTER VIRALITY, AND AS THESE
NARRATIVES ARE GOING VIRAL
THERE IS LITTLE THAT THE
PLANTINGS CAN POINT TO BECAUSE
THE AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION
IS NOT KNOWN.
SO WE GATHERED DATA FOR
SEVERAL MONTHS AND WE STARTED
TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW COULD
WE PROCESS THIS INFORMATION
AFTER THE FACT. A LOT OF THE
TIMES WHAT WE DO IS WE DO A
RAPID RESPONSE PROJECT. WHAT WE
CALLED THEM. WHAT WE ARE
LOOKING AT THINGS AS THEY ARE
HAPPENING, UNDERSTANDING WHAT
NARRATIVES ARE GONE VIRAL AND
WHAT COMMUNITIES THEY ARE
HITTING IN AND WHERE IS THE
RESONANCE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
KNOW THAT A NARRATIVE CAN BEGIN
LIKE WITH THE PANDEMIC VIDEO.
THE COMMUNITY WAS SUPER ENGAGE
EARLY ON AND THAT IS A COMMON
THING TO HAVE HAPPEN AT THIS
POINT OF THE NARRATIVE IS GOING
TO BE RECEIVED VERY DIFFERENTLY
BY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, FOR
EXAMPLE WITH THE BLACK
COMMUNITY, NARRATIVES ABOUT
PAST ATROCITIES, OR MEDICINE
SAFETY IN TERMS OF MORTALITY,
AND MEDICAL RACISM ABOUT THE
BLACK COMMUNITY AND YOU START
TO SEE ARGUMENTS THAT CONNECT
THESE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GOING
TO BE MORE RESONANT WITHIN
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPACTED BY THOSE PAST AND
CURRENT PROBLEMS THEN FOR
EXAMPLE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW
WELLNESS INFLUENCERS WERE NOT
INTERESTED IN OR FAMILIAR WITH
THE TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENTS. AND
SO THOSE PARTICULAR TYPES OF
NARRATIVES ARE NOT GOING TO
PLAY PARTICULARLY WELL OR ARE
AMPLIFIED BY THE WELLNESS
COMMUNITY.
WHAT YOU START TO SEE IS THE
DIFFERENTIATION AND THE
PROLIFERATION OF NARRATIVES
THAT MOVE WITHIN PARTICULAR
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE ENTIRETY
OF THE SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM AND
THEN WHAT WE ARE LEFT WITH, IS
WHAT IS THE AUTHORITATIVE
INFORMATION TO RETURN? WHAT IS
THE COUNTER SPEECH WHEN
SOMETHING IS FALSE? AND THAT IS
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SEE THAT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THERE.
MEMBERS OF COMMUNITIES HAVE
VISIBILITY INTO WHAT IS
SPREADING WITHIN THEIR
COMMUNITY; THEY ARE NOT SOCIAL
MEDIA OBSERVERS. AND SO THERE
IS A DISCONNECT HAPPENING WHERE
THEY MIGHT KNOW THAT SOMETHING
IS BEGINNING, OR SOMETHING HAS
BEGUN TO TAKE HOLD BECAUSE THE
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY MAY
SEE IT BUT THIS QUESTION OF
WHERE DID IT COME FROM, AND IS
IT SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO
RESPOND OR CAN IGNORE IT, IS
WHERE YOU START TO SEE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT RESPONSES. BUT THE
COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE THE
VISIBILITY OR SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.
SO AFTER ALL THE DATA IS
GATHERED, AND WE ANALYZE IT,
WHAT BECAME CLEAR TO US WAS
THAT MISINFORMATION WAS NOT THE
RIGHT FRAMING FOR A LOT OF WHAT
WE WERE SEEING. THERE WAS
DISINFORMATION; THERE WERE
RUSSIAN ACCOUNTS SPREADING
NONSENSE ABOUT VACCINE AND
TRYING TO SAY HEY YOUTUBERS,
TRYING TO SPREAD
MISINFORMATION, NIPPING AROUND
THE EDGES BUT IT IS NOT THE
MAIN EVENT. IT WAS THERE BUT IT
WAS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE
MAJORITY OF OUR WORK.
SAME THING WITH STATE ACTOR
PROPAGANDA. IT IS OUT THERE.
THEY ARE PUTTING IT OUT. BUT IT
IS NOT THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION.
SO WHERE WE CAME DOWN WAS AT A
MUCH BETTER MODEL FOR THINKING
ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED, ON THE
WAYS IN WHICH THESE NARRATIVES
HAD MOVED, RETURNING TO THE
IDEA OF VIRAL RUMORS. SO THE
ACADEMIC DEFINITION OF A RUMOR
IS, UNVERIFIED, UNOFFICIAL
PIECES OF INFORMATION OR
STORIES THAT CIRCULATE FROM
PERSON-TO-PERSON. AND IT'S
REALLY THAT PERSON-TO-PERSON
THING THAT IS SO HIGHLY
RELEVANT HERE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANY OF THE
RUMOR, EVEN LIKE A GOSSIP,
PEOPLE ARE SHARING IT BECAUSE
THEY THINK IT IS INTERESTING.
BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KNOW THE
TRUTH ABOUT IT. THEY THINK
THERE IS SOME SALIENCE TO THEIR
LIVES, IN THE CASE OF A NOVEL
DISEASE AND A VACCINE THAT
MIGHT KEEP YOU SAFE FROM IT. OF
COURSE ALIAS IS VERY, VERY
HIGH. ONE OF THE REASONS IS
THAT WE SELL RUMORS ON STEROIDS
DURING COVID IS THAT EVERYBODY
WAS PAYING ATTENTION PEOPLE
WERE SITTING AROUND IN THEIR
HOUSES, MANY MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE, JUST SITTING THERE
READING THEIR PHONES, DOOM
SCROLLING. THE WAY YOU
PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION
AS YOU CLICK THE SHARE BUTTON
THAT IS EXACTLY HOW YOU
CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE A RUMOR
ALONG.
AND I THOUGHT, WE WIND UP
DOING SOME-- THIS MAY BE FUNNY
FOR LIBRARIANS-- I WAS
INTERESTED IN HOW PEOPLE
EVALUATE THE RUMOR NATURE AND
OTHER EPIDEMICS. I WENT DEEP
INTO STANFORD'S LIBRARY STACKS
IN PLACES WHERE THE LIGHTS TURN
ON WHEN YOU WALKED IN AND WAY
BACK IN THE STACKS THERE WAS AN
ENTIRE SMALL WALL OF BOOKS LIKE
AN EPIDEMIC OF RUMORS. AND
WHAT WAS SO INTERESTING OF THAT
IS THAT AGAIN THIS PHENOMENON
OF RUMORS, I PULLED ONE OF THEM
CALLED AN EPIDEMIC OF RUMORS.
IT'S ABOUT THE RUMORS MOVING
THROUGH THE SARS EPIDEMIC AND
THEY ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL.
AND THAT IS THE THING THAT IS
SO REMARKABLE I THINK ABOUT HOW
WE UNDERSTAND THESE SITUATIONS
AS A FUNCTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU THINK ABOUT THE MORE IN
THE CONTEXT OF RUMORS, AGAIN
THE SAME WAY THE DRAWING ON --
AND SMITH'S WORK, ABOUT VACCINE
MISINFORMATION WITH MORE
WELL-ESTABLISHED VACCINES WE
CAN PERHAPS LOOK AT THIS NOW IS
A PHENOMENON OF THE EPIDEMIC OF
RUMORS THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO
HAPPEN EVERY TIME THERE IS A
NEWER NOVEL DISEASE. OR NEW AND
HIGHLY SALIENT DISEASE, AND
RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS
PERHAPS THE MORE APPROPRIATE
MODEL.
BECAUSE THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH
RUMORS IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY
DO TURN OUT TO BE TRUE. EVEN AS
WE WERE COLLECTING STORIES THAT
APPEAR TO BE FALSE, WHAT YOU DO
FIND IS THAT SOME SMALL PORTION
OF THEM TURN OUT TO BE TRUE.
AND SO THIS IDEA THAT YOU ARE
DEBUNKING MISINFORMATION OR
FACT CHECKING MISINFORMATION,
THE FACT IS THAT INFORMATION IS
OFTEN NOT AVAILABLE AND WHAT
YOU ARE DEALING WITH IS THE
TIME OFFSET WHEN ACCURATE
INFORMATION CAN BE KNOWN AND
THE VIRAL CONTENT THAT IS GOING
TO REACH THE PUBLIC, AND BE
SPREAD BY THE PUBLIC.
SO THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR THIS
WAS ANTI-VACCINE NARRATIVES
ARE VERY OLD BUT THE WAY THEY
SPREAD HAS CHANGED. EVEN THE
TERM "ANTI-VACCINE NARRATIVES,"
"VACCINE HESITANCY NARRATIVES,"
"LIBERTY NARRATIVES," CANNOT BE
LUMPED TOGETHER AND THEY HAVE
TO BE DIFFERENTIATED. THE
POWER TO INFLUENCE OPINIONS
INCREASINGLY LIES WITH THOSE
THAT CAN MORE WIDELY AND
EFFECTIVELY DISSEMINATE MESSAGE
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE IN OUR
STUDY OF THE ACTORS PEOPLE WHO
HAVE LARGE FOLLOWINGS, PEOPLE
WHO HAVE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS
ARE REALLY THE PEOPLE WERE
MAKING THE CONTENT PROPAGATE.
THE PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE IT
REACH A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE ALL
AT ONCE. SO UNDERSTANDING THE
DYNAMICS AND HOW IMPLANTS WORK
IN AN ECOSYSTEM IS REALLY
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND HOW THE RUMORS
SPREAD.
NONE OF THIS IS HAPPENING IN A
VACUUM. WE HAVE A TIME OF LOW
AND DECLINING TRUST, LOW AND
DECLINING CONFIDENCE IN
INSTITUTIONS, HIGH EFFECTIVE
POLARIZATION MEANING PARTISAN
GROUPS DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER IN
HIGH CONTENT BLOG, CONSTANTLY
CURATING WHAT IS SHOWING UP IN
YOUR FEET AND YOU WILL NEVER
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
FEED, AND SEE ALL OF YOUR
INFORMATION SO WHAT IS CURATED
FOR YOU BECOMES IN PART HOW YOU
PROCESS THE WORLD. AND THEN A
CHALLENGE OF ATTENTION THAT
GOES ALONG WITH ALL OF THIS.
WHICH APP ARE YOU GOING TO
OPEN? WHAT IS GOING TO CAPTURE
YOUR ATTENTION? SO EMPLOYERS
ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE CONTENT,
CAPTURE YOUR ATTENTION AND
THERE IS SENSATIONALISM AND
FEEDBACK.
THE SECOND BIG TAKE AWAY,
CHANGE IS A CURRENT ALONG
SOCIAL SHIFTS, INCLUDING A
DECLINE IN TRUST. NOT A
PROBLEM OF THE INTERNET AND
THESE DYNAMICS REQUIRE A
DIFFERENT TYPE OF THE RESPONSE.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS TRUST THE PRESIDENT.
WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE
ARE IN, WE NEED TO BE THINKING
ABOUT HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE
THESE NARRATIVES AND HOW TO
RECOGNIZE HOW GRANULAR AND
FRAGMENTED THEY ARE AND TO THE
EXTENT TO WHICH PEOPLE
PARTICIPATE BECAUSE IT REALLY
CARE AND THEY ARE REALLY
PARTICIPATING IN THAT CURING
PROCESS.
ALONGSIDE THAT AND THIS TIES
IN VERY MUCH OF THE INFLUENCER
DYNAMICS AS WELL, INFLUENCE AND
EXPERTISE HAVE BEEN DECOUPLED.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF
FRONT-LINE PHYSICIANS IN
PARTICULAR COULD GAIN SOME
TWITTER FOLLOWING, SAYING HEY,
I WORK AT SUCH AND SUCH
HOSPITAL IN SUCH AND SUCH PLACE.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IS
ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE
GROUND.
BEYOND THAT THESE SORT OF
AUTHORITATIVE INSTITUTIONS
DON'T COMMUNICATE IN THE SAME
WAY THAT INFLUENCERS DO. THEY
ARE NOT REALLY OUT THERE
CAPTURING ATTENTION. AND SO
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT AS
PLATFORMS ARE KEYING OFF THINGS
LIKE ENGAGEMENT TO DECIDE WHAT
TO CURATE, THE INFLUENCERS HAVE
THE GREATER POWER TO HAVE THEIR
MESSAGE BEING SEEN IN PART
BECAUSE THEY ENJOY THAT TRUST
WITH THEIR AUDIENCE AND THE
ARTIST WILL SHARE THE CONTENT
AND THE ALGORITHM WILL PICK UP
ON THE ENGAGEMENT SIGNAL
HAPPENING THERE.
AND SO, ONE OF THE OTHER
PIECES OF THIS IS THAT IT IS
NOT A PROBLEM OF FACT CHECKING.
THERE ARE FACT CHECKERS OUT
THERE AND AVAILABLE,
PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TIME
LINE HAS RESOLVED, AND
PARTICULARLY WHEN THE FACT
CHECK IS NOT ALWAYS TRUSTED AND
THE FACT CHECK DYNAMIC IS PART
AND PARCEL OF THE DYNAMIC OF
INFLUENCE, TRUST AND ATTENTION
CAPTURING.
IS THERE ANYTHING OPTIMISTIC
THAT WE CAN SEE AFTER A STUDY
TO UNDERSTAND THIS? ONE OF THE
GROUPS THAT WE WORKED WITH WAS
A GROUP CALLED THIS IS OUR SHOT.
WHAT WE TRY TO DO AS WE WERE
STUDYING THESE NARRATIVES AND
RAPID RESPONSE PROCESS AS WE
STARTED WRITING READINGS AND
ORIGINALLY WE WERE THINKING OF
WRITING BRIEFINGS ABOUT
MISINFORMATION, BUT AGAIN WE
BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT WE WERE
WRITING BRIEFINGS AROUND VIRAL
NARRATIVES. AND THE REASON WE
WERE TRYING TO DO THAT IS SO
THAT THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS,
AND THE PEOPLE EQUIPPED TO
COUNTER SPEAK-- WE OURSELVES
ARE NOT PHYSICIANS AT SIL-- WE
ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO BE THE
COUNTY SPEAKERS OR CREDIBLE
MESSENGERS WE WORK WITH THIS
DECISION SO WE CAN TELL THEM
WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY THIS
NARRATIVE IS TAKING HOLD.
WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY THIS IS
THE FOCUS OF THE CONVERSATION.
THESE ARE THE NARRATIVES THAT
ARE GOING VIRAL DAY IN AND DAY
OUT. MORE IMPORTANTLY THESE ARE
THE RUMORS WHERE PEOPLE ARE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THEM, HIGH
DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION AND
ENGAGEMENT, AND THERE IS NO
RESPONSE.
AND SO WHAT YOU START TO SEE
WITH THIS GROUP OF PHYSICIANS
IS THEY BEGIN TO CREATE CONTENT.
AND SOME OF IT IS THE KIND OF
INFORMATIVE CHARTS AND GRAPHS.
HERE IS THE AUTHORITY OF
SCIENCE AND THE BEST
INFORMATION WE HAVE AT THIS
POINT. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT THE DISEASE OR THE
TREATMENT OF THE VACCINE BUT A
LOT OF IT IS ALSO FIRST-PERSON
CONTACT. SO HERE IS A MEDICAL
PROFESSIONAL WITH A BAND-AID ON
HER ARM. I JUST GOT VACCINATED
AND I GOT VACCINATED AND I AM
FINE. HERE IS MY STORY AND ONE
OF THE REASONS FOR THAT IS THAT
OTHERWISE ALL OF THE STORIES
ABOUT BEING VACCINATED THERE IS
AN ASYMMETRY OF PASSION WHERE
YOU HAVE REPORTS FROM PEOPLE
WHO DID HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE.
YOU DON'T WANT THOSE STORIES TO
BE THE ONLY FIRST-PERSON
STORIES THAT ARTICULATING. CAN
YOU PUT OUT STORIES ABOUT I GOT
VACCINATED, NOTHING HAPPENED
AND I FEEL FINE I AM HAPPY I AM
PROTECTED? THAT IS A NARRATIVE
AND THE KINDS OF CONTENT YOU
START TO SEE THESE PHYSICIANS
TRYING TO CREATE. THE OTHER
THING THAT THEY DO IS USING
MEMES, LIKE THE CAR MAKING A
RAPID SHARP TURN TO GO DOWN THE
PATH, A COMMON MEME, LIKE THE
UPPER RIGHT CORNER TO THE GUY
WITH THE TWO BUTTONS. THE KIND
OF COUNTING THE PEOPLE ON THE
INTERNET NORMALLY SHARE.
SO THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS
SIGNIFICANTLY WOUND DOWN. BUT
THE ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENT, THE
REAL TRUE DIEHARD OLD-SCHOOL
ANTI-VACCINE ACTIVISTS WHO HAVE
BEEN IN THIS CONVERSATION BACK
IN 2015, AROUND THE DISNEYLAND
MEASLES UPDATE WITH FALLBACKS
AND REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL FOR
THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE
STILL BELIEVE THAT VACCINES
CAUSE AUTISM. THOSE FOLKS
ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT AUDIENCE
GROWTH DURING CVOID-19. AND
NOW THOSE AUDIENCES ARE POINTED
AT OTHER HEALTH RELATED TOPICS
RELATED TO THE VACCINES.
AND THIS IS WHERE EVEN THOUGH
COVID HAS WOUND DOWN, THERE IS
GOING TO BE A NEED TO MAINTAIN
SOME KIND OF STRUCTURED
RESPONSES ENCOUNTER SPEECH TO
TRY TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT
GOING FORWARD, AS THESE
EFFORTS, AS THESE LARGE ENGAGED
PARTICIPATORY NETWORKS ARE NOW
POINTED AT ROUTINE CHILDHOOD
IMMUNIZATIONS.
AND SO, I THINK I AM A TIME.
PERFECT TIMING SO I AM HAPPY TO
TAKE QUESTIONS FOR 15 MINUTES.
BUT AGAIN ROUGHLY, AS
LIBRARIANS, AS PEOPLE WHO WERE
DEEPLY FAMILIAR WITH THE
DYNAMICS OF KNOWLEDGE, AS
PEOPLE WHO ARE TIED IN TO
PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES OR OTHER
LIBRARIANS OR MEMBERS OF LOCAL
COMMUNITIES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
HAVE NETWORK COMMUNITY
RESPONSES. THINGS THAT GO
BEYOND FACT CHECKING AND MOVE
TOWARDS BUILDING TRUST AND
CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
AGAIN, AND REINFORCING THE
IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR
COMMUNITIES IN THE REAL WORLD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I AM
HAPPY TO CHAT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH RENÉE FOR
THEIR EXCELLENT TALK AND MY
NAME IS LISA FEDERER, ACTING
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AT NLM
SPONSORING THIS EVENT AND WE
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE
ALREADY HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING,
FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT YOUR
QUESTIONS USING THE SUBMIT LIVE
FEEDBACK BUTTON THAT YOU WILL
FIND JUST UNDERNEATH THE VIDEO
ON VIDEOCAST.
WE WILL START WITH,
INTERESTING THAT VACCINE
ASSOCIATED EVENTS NO MATTER HOW
RARE OR BIZARRE ARE SUBJECT
OBLIGATION, POSITIVE FEEDBACK
FOR ASSOCIATED EVENTS WITH
NEGATIVE TREATMENTS, I.E.,
IVERMECTYN, ARE SUBJECT TO
DENIAL.
>> RENEE: IVERMECTYN IS
INTERESTING BUT BECAUSE HE
BECAME SO HIGHLY PARTISAN, AS A
FUNCTION OF IDENTITY AND YOU
HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROUPS
THAT WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT
IVERMECTYN.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE
EARLY ON WHO DID NOT BELIEVE
THAT COVID WAS A PROBLEM AND
THERE HEARD FROM A LOT OF
TRUSTED INFORMATION THAT COVID
WAS A HOAX AND WHAT YOU STARTED
TO SEE IS PEOPLE BEGAN TO DIE,
AND THEN THE REALIZATION THAT
MAYBE THIS IS NOT A HOAX, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME HOW SHOULD
THEY THINK ABOUT IT? AND PEOPLE
WHO WERE DEEPLY DISTRUSTFUL OF
THE VACCINE NONETHELESS
RECOGNIZED THERE WAS A CHANCE
THEY WERE GOING TO GET THIS
DISEASE AND THAT IS WHERE
IVERMECTYN BECOMES A SOURCE OF
GREAT INTEREST AS A WAY TO
AVOID THE VACCINE THAT THEY
BEEN HEARING IS DANGEROUS AND
TOXIC. AND IS GOING TO CAUSE
HEART PROBLEMS AND PERHAPS KILL
THEM. AS THEY ARE HEARING THAT,
IVERMECTYN IS PRESENTED AS AN
ALTERNATIVE. ONE OF THE
INTERESTING DYNAMICS WITH FAKE
CURES, IS THAT SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE INFLUENCERS-- CRITICALLY
WELLNESS EMPLOYERS WHO ARE
MOTIVATED NOT JUST BY WANTING
TO CONNECT AND GROW THEIR
AUDIENCE BUT ALSO TAKE THIS
HIGH DOSE VITAMIN C WHICH I
HAPPEN TO SELL. AND THERE ARE
OTHER DYNAMICS RELATED TO THAT.
SO I THINK THAT FINDING
MESSENGERS WHO ARE TRUSTED TO
TELL THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT
STORY IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO
AT THIS POINT TO TRY TO FLIP
THAT.
>> LISA: THAT MAKES SENSE.
ANOTHER QUESTION, WHAT IMPACT
DOES DISCOMFORT AND UNCERTAINTY
HAVE ON THE EPIDEMIC OF RUMORS?
WE'RE NOT SURE YET IS SCARIER
THAN HEARING HOW TERRIBLE OR
HOW BAD IS KNOWN. IS THIS
RELEVANT TO SPREAD?
>> RENEE: IT IS A GREAT
QUESTION AND YOU SEE THIS IN
THE BOOK, THE EPIDEMIC OF
RUMORS THEY DO COVER THE
DYNAMIC OF UNCERTAINTY AND SOME
OF THE LITERATURE AROUND RUMORS
ALSO DOES IT AND HIGHLIGHTS THE
FACT THAT WHEN PEOPLE SHARE
THIS WITH HER FRIENDS AND
HOPING THEIR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN
MORE INFORMATION OR A PIECE OF
IT-- I WAS WRITING ARTICLES FOR
THE ATLANTIC QUITE A BIT DURING
THE WORK WE WERE DOING HERE
TRYING TO CONCEPTUALIZE THIS
FOR THE PUBLIC, WHEN THE
INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY FIGURES
DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE
CONVERSATION, YOU JUST CREATE
AVOID WHEREBY THE ONLY CONTENT
THAT IS OUT THERE, IS CONTENT
PRODUCED BY EITHER DEEPLY
CONCERNED PEOPLE OR FINANCIALLY
MOTIVATED PEOPLE, AND IS HARD
TO HOP INTO THE CONVERSATION AT
THE END AND SAY NO, NO, THIS IS
THE TRUTH BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT
EST. A RAPPORT AND THERE IS NO
DYNAMIC WHERE THE PARTICIPATION
IS HAPPENING.
THERE ARE MANY INFLUENCERS WHO
GAIN THEIR OWN CLOUD BY
POSITIONING THEMSELVES AS A
SOURCE OF TRUTH IN OPPOSITION
TO AUTHORITY AND INSTITUTIONS.
WHERE UNDERMINING CONFIDENCE
INSTITUTIONS IS HOW THEY GROW
THEIR AUDIENCES, BECAUSE THEY
ARE HETERODOX THINKERS AND
CONTRARIANS. AND INSTITUTIONS
THAT ARE ACCUSTOMED TO
COMMUNICATING IN CONFERENCES
AND FACT SHEETS-- WHAT WE NEED
TO SEE MORE OF OUR THINGS THAT
SAY THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW TO BE
TRUE RIGHT NOW. THIS IS OUR
BEST UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE
THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW. AND THAT
IS THE KIND OF TRANSPARENCY
WHERE THE RECOGNITION IS THAT
YOU MIGHT BE WRONG. AND YET AT
THE SAME TIME I DO THINK THAT
SAYING THIS IS OUR BEST
UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS
RIGHT NOW IS SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED TO SEE FROM OUR
INSTITUTIONS AND AUTHORITY
FIGURES. AT EXPLAINING THROUGH
EDUCATION OR MEDIA LITERACY
THAT THE INTERNET DOES NOT HAVE
ALL THE FACTS FOR YOU. AT THE
TIME THAT YOU WANT THEM. YOU
SEE THIS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
CRISIS EVENTS. TRAGICALLY WITH
MASS SHOOTINGS THERE ARE
OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE NAMED
AS THE SUSPECT, PURELY BECAUSE
SOME PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET
FOUND SOMETHING AND THEY
THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING
SLEUTHS, AND THEY PUT THIS OUT
THERE AND IS PEOPLE SCROLLING
AND SCROLLING BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO KNOW THE TRUTH, IT IS HIGHLY
SENSATIONAL AND UPSETTING EVENT
AND THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT. YOU
DO START TO SEE THAT DYNAMIC
HAPPEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND
SO THIS IDEA THAT IN THE HEAT
OF THE CHAOS OF THE SITUATION,
THAT INFORMATION IS NOT
NECESSARILY WHAT RISES TO THE
TOP. SO HELPING PEOPLE MAKE
THAT CONNECTION, HEY, THERE'S A
LOT OF TIMES WHERE YOU SEE
FALSE RUMORS FLY WHEN THERE IS
A SERIOUS WORLD EVENT. THAT
SAME THING HAPPENS IN THIS MORE
SUSTAINED EXPERIENCE DURING
THIS PANDEMIC.
>> LISA: INTERESTING SO YEAH.
ANOTHER QUESTION. I AM
WONDERING WHETHER YOU HAD ANY
CONVERSATIONS WITH MEDICAL
PROVIDERS AROUND THIS NEW
RESPONSIBILITY TO BECOME MORE
OF AN INFLUENCER IN THEIR
PERSONAL ONLINE SPACES. THIS IS
NOT A RESPONSIBILITY OR
BEHAVIOR WE HAD ASKED OF
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE
PAST AND LIKELY ADDS A WHOLE
ADDITIONAL BURDEN OF FEELING
RESPONSIBLE FOR COMBATING MIS
OR DISINFORMATION.
>> RENEE: IT IS A VERY HEROIC
EFFORT OF THOSE PHYSICIANS THAT
WE SAW. WE ARE PART OF THE
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
WITH THE NEW EACH OTHER AND
PRIOR TO DECIDING TO DISSIPATE
AS COMMUNICATORS TO THE SPACE
BUT THERE WERE-- @CLUBHOUSE WAS
A POPULAR AT THE TIME WITH
VOICE CHAT AND IT WAS POPULAR
AMONG THE BLACK COMMUNITY AS
WELL, EARLY ADOPTERS. YOU DID
SEE MANY, MANY BLACK PHYSICIANS
STARTING ROOMS AND CLUBHOUSES
THAT SAID DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
ABOUT COVID? I AM HERE SO YOU
CAN ASK ME.
AT NIGHT AND AFTER THEIR SHIFT
IN THE WORK THAT THEY DID THEY
MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR
AN HOUR OR TWO TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY
AND SO I THINK THIS IS A
QUESTION PERHAPS FOR MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS. I HAVE BEEN
PARTICIPATING. I SPOKE WITH THE
AMERICAN BOARD OF INTERNAL
MEDICINE FOLKS. I WAS AT ONE OF
THEIR CONFERENCES LAST YEAR.
AND THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO
PRIORITIZE. IS THERE A RESPONSE
FUNCTION WHERE THEY CAN MAKE A
NETWORK OF PHYSICIANS WHO WANTS
TO DO THIS? SO PEOPLE CAN BE
TAPPED IN FOR THE RELATIVE
EXPERTISE AT RELEVANT TIMES.
THE REAL CHALLENGES YOU DO
HAVE TO WORK ON BUILDING AN
AUDIENCE, AND BUILDING WITH THE
AUDIENCE AND THAT IS WHERE
EXISTING INFLUENCERS-- EVEN
WELLNESS ARE THE THINGS-- BRING
ON PHYSICIANS. SOMETIMES IT IS
A BETTER WAY OF GETTING THE
MESSAGE OUT RATHER THAN THE
PHYSICIAN SITTING THERE TRYING
TO BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED
INFLUENCER WITH HUNDRED
THOUSAND FOLLOWERS THEMSELVES
AND SOME OF THEM WANT TO DO IT,
SOME OF THEM DON'T BUT YOU DO
SEE THIS DYNAMIC, POSITIONS
BEGINNING TO PICK THIS UP AND
TAKE IT ON AS PART OF THE
RESPONSIBILITIES.
>> LISA: I THINK THE QUESTION
THAT IS A LITTLE BIT RELATED TO
THAT, I HEARD FROM FACT
CHECKERS THAT EL TIEMPO LATINO,
THEY OBSERVED THE MESSAGE OF
GETTING VACCINATED AND TAKEN
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT FAMILY
MEMBERS IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN
HISPANIC IMMUNITIES AND ASKING
PEOPLE TO DO THESE THINGS FOR
THEMSELVES HAVE YOU SEEN HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS CHANGE THEIR
LANGUAGE OR START USING MORE
TRANSLATORS WHEN TALKING TO HIS
ESL POPULATIONS, ESPECIALLY
CONTENT INFORMATION NOT IN
ENGLISH?
>> RENEE: WE LOOKED AT
NARRATIVES IN SPANISH AND IN
CHINESE. AND SO WE DO HAVE
SECTIONS OF THE REPORT WILL
TALK ABOUT THAT. SO SOMETIMES
IT COMES THROUGH TRANSLATION,
MEANING THE RUMORS WERE OFTEN
TRANSLATED FROM AMERICAN SOCIAL
MEDIA INTO SPANISH AND CHINESE
LANGUAGES. BUT THERE ARE UNIQUE
NARRATIVES ARE HIGHLY RESONANT
WITH A POPULATION LIKE FOR
EXAMPLE AMONG THE CHINESE
EX-PAT COMMUNITY NARRATIVES
THAT THIS IS THE CCP VIRUS THAT
WAS PLAYED A LOT AND AGAIN THAT
SALIENCE IS NOT VERY RELEVANT
TO THE DYNAMICS OF THE CHINESE
COMMUNIS PARTY OR THEORIES
ABOUT GOVERNMENT COURSE AND
AROUND VACCINES AND THAT
RESONATE IN A PARTICULAR
DIFFERENT WAY.
AND AS YOU NOTED WITHIN THE
SPANISH-LANGUAGE POPULATION,
APPEALING TO COMMUNITY OR
PEEING THE FAMILY MAY BE MORE
RESONANT. I THINK THERE NEEDS
TO BE A WHOLE LOT MORE
SUSTAINED WORK LOOKING AT THIS.
AND SIO, WE LOOK A LOT OF
DIFFERENT THINGS ON THE
INTERNET, A LOT OF DIFFERENT
TOPICS AND SO WHAT WE DEVOTED
2021 TO THIS IT IS NOT
SOMETHING WE ARE CURRENTLY
PERSISTING IN SO BUILDING THOSE
CONNECTIONS WHERE YOU HAVE
THESE CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONS ARE THESE
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
PLUGGING INTO SOME SORT OF BODY
THAT IS CAPABLE OF ASSESSING
NARRATIVES OR ONLINE
INFORMATION IS SOMETHING YOU
NEED TO HAVE AS A MUCH MORE
SUSTAINED SET OF RELATIONSHIPS.
WHICH REQUIRES FUNDING AND
COMMITMENT.
>> LISA: YES AND THERE'S A
COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME
IN THAT RELATE TO WHAT
LIBRARIANS CAN DO. AS YOU MIGHT
EXPECT WITH HIS AUDIENCE. I
WILL SAY THAT NLM AND THROUGH
THE NETWORK OF THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE HAVE BEEN
DOING SOME WORK IN THIS AREA
BUT MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK A
LITTLE BIT MORE TO WHAT ARE
ACTIONABLE THINGS THAT
LIBRARIANS CAN DO TO HELP OUT
IN THESE AREAS.
>> RENEE: I THINK IT IS THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMATION
LITERACY I THINK ARE HUGE. I
HAVE THREE LITTLE KIDS. ONE OF
THEM GETS CURRICULUM RIGHT
NOW-- ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM EVEN
IN KINDERGARTEN THEY ARE
STARTING IT-- NOT EVERYTHING ON
THE INTERNET IS REAL. IT IS
VERY CUTE, KID ORIENTED. JUST
BECAUSE THEY SAID IT ON YOUTUBE
DOES NOT MEAN IT IS TRUE KIND
OF STUFF AND WE NEED TO LEVEL
DATA FOR ADULTS. BUT WHERE DO
ADULTS SEE OR HEAR ABOUT THESE
SORTS OF DYNAMICS? HOW DO YOU
CONVEY THAT A LOT OF TIMES
PEOPLE SHARE RUMORS BECAUSE
THEY FEEL VERY EMOTIONALLY
REAL, VERY RESONANT? AND IN
DOING SO YOU ALMOST ENSURE THAT
OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY
ARE GOING TO SEE IT TOO. IS
THIS SOMETHING YOU FEEL
STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THAT YOU
BELIEVE IS TRUE AND YOU WANT
THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY TO
SEE IT?
EVEN AS PLATFORMS TRY TO THINK
ABOUT TRENDING TOPICS AND
DESIGN AND RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS
AND THEY ACCEPT AD DOLLARS FROM
ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS
THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT
INCREASING USE OF AGENCY AND
ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS
TO FIND OUT THE FACTS AND
POTENTIALLY COUNTER SPEAK
WITHIN COMMUNITIES AND SINCE
LIBRARIANS DO OFTEN HAVE STRONG
TIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THAT
MIGHT BE ONE AREA FOR
CONTINUING ADULT EDUCATION TO
HELP MAKE THE WAY THAT THE
SYSTEM WORKS A LITTLE BIT MORE
CLEAR-- PARTICULARLY TO OLD
REPUBLIC.
>> LISA: YET NOTHING THAT TIES
WELL INTO THE WORK OF
INFORMATION LITERACY.
I WILL DO OUR LAST QUESTION.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE ROLE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS FOR
EXAMPLE MICKEY MÉNAGE? ON THE
PROPAGATION OF MISINFORMATION
VS. THE ROLE OF CONVENTIONAL
SOCIAL NEVER PROPAGATION FOR
EXAMPLE FACEBOOK FRIENDS?
>> RENEE: THAT IS AN
INTERESTING QUESTION AND OF
COURSE I REMEMBER THE MICKEY
MENAGE (PHONETIC) INCIDENT AND
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DO, A
FRIEND OF A FRIEND RUMOR. MY
BOYFRIEND'S BROTHERS COUSIN
EXPERIENCE AN EVENT WHERE HIS
TESTICLES FELL. THAT WAS THE
THEORY. HOW DO YOU FACT CHECK
THAT?
AND SO WHAT WANT UP HAPPENING,
I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
IS PUTTING ISOLATED EVENTS INTO
CONTEXT. ONE, WE DON'T KNOW
THAT IT HAPPENED IN TWO, WE
DON'T KNOW THE VACCINE COSTED
IN THREE, IF IT DID HAPPEN
THERE ARE OCCASIONALLY OUTLIER
EVENT SO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
SAFETY STATISTICS AND ISOLATED
STORIES AND SO THERE ARE WAYS
TO COUNTER SPEAK IN RESPONSE TO
THAT. VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT UP
A LABEL SAYING THIS DOES NOT
HAPPEN. AND THAT AGAIN IS WHERE
WE GET A PLATFORMS THAT ARE NOT
NECESSARILY THE BEST WAY TO
ADDRESS THAT SITUATION PERHAPS.
BUT INFLUENCERS ALSO BEING
AWARE OF THE ROLE THAT THEY
PLAY IN THE INFORMATION
ECOSYSTEM AND A LOT OF TIMES,
THE IMPACT OF SPECULATION IF
YOU ARE SOMEBODY WITH A LARGE
FOLLOWING, IS NOT ALWAYS
NECESSARILY INTERNALIZED.
AND SO THE INFLUENCER HAS THE
POWER TO REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE
ALL AT ONCE. THEY HAVE A
MILLION FOLLOWERS OR SOMETHING.
BUT THERE ARE INTERESTING
THEORIES OF PERSUASION THAT
DATE BACK TO THE 1940S ACTUALLY
WHAT PEOPLE TRIED TO STUDY
PROPAGANDA BROADCAST MEDIA AND
THE IMPACT ON POPULATION
DIRECTLY, CALL THE HYPODERMIC
THEORY OF INFORMATION. PEOPLE
WHO SAW CONTENT ON THE PROJECT
IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO BELIEVE IT.
AND THE FUNNY WAS THAT
OFTENTIMES IT WAS MEDIATED
THROUGH FIRENDS. SO THEY WERE
PEOPLE THAT THEY CALLED OPINION
LEADERS IN THE STUDY THAT
SERVED AS A ROLE AS MEDIATORS
OR TRANSLATORS, AND THAT
DYNAMIC HAPPENS IN SOCIAL MEDIA
TODAY SO YOU DO HAVE THESE
MEMBERS OF YOUR FRIEND GROUP
WHOM YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO
TRUST OR LISTEN TO OR BE
ENGAGED IN A BACK-AND-FORTH
WITH AND SOME OF THEM TURN OUT
TO BE KIND OF HIGH-FREQUENCY
SHARERS OF CERTAIN TYPES OF
CONTENT. AND SO THE THEORY IS
THAT THE IMPACT IS DIFFERENT
BECAUSE ONE IS SOMEBODY PERHAPS
SOMEWHAT UNATTAINABLE BUT
TRUSTED BUT OFTENTIMES THE
FANDOM WILL SHARE BECAUSE THEY
HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH
INFLUENCER BUT AS FAR AS DOES
THE CHANGE THEIR MINDS? THE
CURRENT THINKING IS THAT MIND
CHANGING HAPPENS MUCH MORE AND
THAT SORT OF PERSONAL SENSE
THAT HAPPENS WITH PEOPLE AND
PLATFORM LIKE FACEBOOK. SO IT
IS A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC. TWITTER
IS MORE BROADCAST AND FANDOM
APPLICATION VS. FACEBOOK WHAT
YOU ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO
ARE IN A GROUP WITH YOU AND SO
YOU REALLY FORM A COMMUNITY, A
TRUSTED COMMUNITY AS YOU ENGAGE
AROUND THESE ISSUES.
>> LISA: VERY INTERESTING AND
THAT DOES TAKE US TO THE HOUR
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH RENEE FOR
THIS EXCELLENT TALK AND THANK
YOU ALL FOR JOINING US IN
SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE WHO
SUBMITTED QUESTIONS. WILL CLOSE
THERE, AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN
AND HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY.