Hurricane Helene: misinformation with dangerous consequences
Misinformation has flourished after this year's catastrophic hurricanes in the United States. Fake news campaigns are also affected by the upcoming presidential election.
Hurricane Helene that hit North Carolina and Georgia was followed by spreading of rumors and conspiracy theories. False claims that relief funds had been used to help "illegal immigrants" and rumors of secret meetings on land expropriation have circulated, threatening to severely hamper rescue efforts.
Experts warn that misinformation in connection with disasters can have dangerous consequences for both aid workers and victims. It can breed mistrust of authorities and hinder cooperation that is crucial in disaster situations. "Crisis situations like these are characterized by a combination of threats to central values, ultimately life and health, uncertainty about the course of events and the consequences, and urgency to make critical decisions. In these situations, there is a natural instinct in people to fill the information vacuum by lowering the requirements for source criticism. This creates a breeding ground for disinformation," explains Daniel Nohrstedt, professor in the Department of Government at Uppsala University and scientific coordinator at CNDS.
Increased misinformation and rumor-mongering in the wake disasters such as Hurricane Helene pose a major challenge, not only to the legitimacy of public authorities but ultimately also to the safety of those most in need of support. Read the full article here (France 24, in French)