Among the highlights of the new reality, which was spawned by the Coruna pandemic crisis around the world, was this powerful test of social media, which has become a distinctive feature that no one in the contemporary world denies.
To the extent that these new means contributed to alleviating the crisis of direct contact between people due to fears of the spread of the virus, as far as it seemed from many, they failed to test the reliability.
And because the scourge of news is its narrators, the social media audience bears a large part of the responsibility in the negative aspects that are being talked about, the use of which resulted during the crisis, from publishing fabricated news, to spreading rumors, to seeking to spread fear and panic in the hearts of people, who The crisis placed them in a state of anxiety, causing them to hold onto any information that might be fundamentally incorrect.
Since the crisis began with the spread of the virus in China late last year, and then its transmission to other countries, it has become clear on many social media platforms that there is a similar state of panic and panic, which is being promoted by a large segment of the pioneers of those platforms. It was noticeable how Twitter, which is the most widely circulated in many Arab countries, moved to declare a ban on "misleading content" around the epidemic and to say that it would remove any content that promotes unspecified and misleading allegations about the Corona virus.
The social networking site said that tweets, which can put people at risk of contracting COFFED19, will be banned according to the revised safety rules. According to Twitter, this includes any unreliable allegations that certain groups are most vulnerable to HIV infection.
Twitter's talk on this matter came, following a joint announcement by Facebook, Google and Microsoft, in which they pledged to work with governments to fight misinformation and to help contact those who put themselves in personal isolation.
"We are helping millions of people stay connected, fighting fake news and misinformation about the virus, publishing on our platforms the content issued by the relevant authorities, and sharing important updates in coordination with government health care agencies around the world," the joint statement of these platforms said.
Besides some people deliberately limiting their participation on social media platforms to highlight the dark and gloomy aspect and details of the deaths, in order to deepen the fear that is already occurring, there are others who sought to take advantage of the crisis by promoting false drugs, which they claimed to address the corona epidemic.
In a report, the French News Agency mentioned some of these drugs, including the consumption of volcanic ash, the use of ultraviolet lights, and chlorine disinfectants, which health authorities say can cause harm if used incorrectly.
In several Arab countries, the authorities seemed interested in fighting rumor mongers, or fake news during the crisis, via social media. In Egypt, the Medical Syndicate said that a complete write-off would be the punishment for doctors who are dealing with methods of treatment for the Coronavirus through social media. The President of the Egyptian Doctors Syndicate, in connection with a program for a local television, pointed out that during the last period the syndicate monitored the chaos of fatwas on ways to treat Corona virus from doctors on social media.
In Qatar, the Ministry of Interior issued a warning to all citizens and residents not to participate in the publication or circulation of rumors, saying that "this is a very dangerous matter and the person responsible may be subject to legal accountability."
In Saudi Arabia, the authorities have set penalties for the anonymous news launchers, and to promote rumors that escalate the panic of society in light of the outbreak of the Corona virus, as it affects public order.
Back to sober media
On the other hand, some of the test social media is experiencing in this crisis appears to be credible. Although it has been known over the past years as a fast way to circulate and transmit news, people seem to rush spontaneously in times of such crises to the traditional media, especially those discreet ones, which reflects a crisis of loss of confidence in the emerging social media, especially In times of crisis.
In this context, Roger Moussa notes in an article in the magazine "New Statesman" to the emergence of the role of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) during the crisis, and how people rushed to it as a reliable public service, rest assured of its news. The writer says that the crisis showed how the BBC is a necessity and should be protected.
"And while we fear the world and its people, there appears to be starvation during this crisis of credible facts that reassure all those who have been hit by a hysterical by inaccurate information infested with social media," the author adds.
He continued: "It is during such critical times, that BBC as a public service has had the opportunity to demonstrate the secret of its survival."
https://www.bbc.com/arabic/interactivity-52084379