Online Temptations: COVID-19 and Religious Misinformation in the MENA Region

Alimardani, Mahsa; Elswah, Mona

doi:10.1177/2056305120948251

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Thus, there is a potential that similar local strategies have been used during the pandemic. Previous research has also highlighted the prevalence of religious misinformation in the Middle East and North Africa online sphere (Alimardani & Elswah, 2020), suggesting that such beliefs might be also amplified in other countries and communities affiliated with these regions. Future research needs to evaluate the quality of information shared by crowdsourced COVID-19 elites so that we can better monitor and intervene upon misinformation in future health crises (Gallotti et al, 2020; Shams et al, 2021; WHO, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustained Online Amplification of COVID-19 Elites in the United States

Gallagher

Doroshenko

Shugars

et al. 2021

Social Media + Society

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In the absence of clear, consistent guidelines about the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, many people use social media to learn about the virus, public health directives, vaccine distribution, and other health information. As people individually sift through a flood of information online, they collectively curate a small set of accounts, known as crowdsourced elites, that receive disproportionate attention for their COVID-19 content. However, these elites are not all created equal: not all accounts have received the same attention during the pandemic, and various demographic and ideological groups have crowdsourced their own elites. Using a mixed-methods approach with a panel of Twitter users in the United States over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we identify COVID-19 crowdsourced elites. We distinguish sustained amplification from episodic amplification and demonstrate that crowdsourced elites vary across demographics with respect to race, geography, and political alignment. Specifically, we show that different subpopulations preferentially amplify elites that are demographically similar to them, and that they crowdsource different types of elite accounts, such as journalists, elected officials, and medical professionals, in different proportions. In light of this variation, we discuss the potential for using the disproportionate online voice of crowdsourced COVID-19 elites to equitably promote public health information and mitigate misinformation across networked publics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustained Online Amplification of COVID-19 Elites in the United States

Gallagher

Doroshenko

Shugars

et al. 2021

Social Media + Society

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“…To conclude, religious misinformation is increasing not only in India but also in Bangladesh, India's next-door neighbor (Al-Zaman et al, 2020). Also, COVID-19 religious misinformation is not an exclusive Indian problem, rather it is commonplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Latin America as well (Alimardani & Elswah, 2020;Longoria, Ramos, & Webb, 2020). However, unlike the other regions, vitriol and political rhetoric are used against religious minorities in India, perhaps to achieve definite political agendas, which is somewhat unique: herein, politics meets healthcare.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Politics meets healthcare? Religious misinformation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Al-Zaman

2020

JSH

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“…In this case, they believe that the structures of these places are antibacterial and the virus is not transmitted in these places and religious ceremonies should not be closed (Chitsaz, 2020 ). Also, some clerics questioned the issue of quarantine and social restrictions and did not consider it necessary (Alimardani & Elswah, 2020 ).…”

Section: Improper Actions and Activities Of The Clericsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to a small number of these clerics' followers, these approaches were ineffective, and they burned the book of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, which is one of the most reliable medical sources in the world (Faghihi, 2020 ). These less-known clerics proposed treatments, such as drinking camel urine and using traditional medicine (using violet oil) (Alimardani & Elswah, 2020 ), which were rejected by doctors, health officials, and all prominent clerics. In this regard, clerics criticized healthcare organizations for designing health protocols and showing a lack of commitment to spirituality and religion in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.…”

Section: Improper Actions and Activities Of The Clericsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Clerics in Confronting the COVID-19 Crisis in Iran

et al. 2021

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Clerics were an authoritative and prominent group in society during the spread of the COVID-19 in Iran. Some of them contributed to social welfare services to assist Iranians. However, others engaged in improper activities, such as calling the COVID-19 pandemic a hoax, standing against the quarantine rules, questioning the scientific methods of preventing COVID-19, and offering incorrect strategies that affected prevention and treatment. Yet, clerics are powerful social assets in Iranian society who have the status to help minimize the spread and effects of pandemics upon Iranian people. As a result, their assistance and influence must be used to combat the COVID-19 crisis. This paper argues that clerics in Iran should motivate people to uphold and obey health norms in four ways: (1) health promotion and encouragement, (2) material and instrumental support, (3) spiritual support, and (4) the mobilization of people to combat the disease. Conversely, it highlights the negative roles of clerics, such as (1) opposing social restrictions and opposing the closure of religious places, (2) countering the scientific-hygienic principles appropriate to COVID-19 prevention, and (3) opposing vaccination.

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Online Temptations: COVID-19 and Religious Misinformation in the MENA Region

Cited by 30 publications

References 7 publications

Sustained Online Amplification of COVID-19 Elites in the United States

Sustained Online Amplification of COVID-19 Elites in the United States

Politics meets healthcare? Religious misinformation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Role of Clerics in Confronting the COVID-19 Crisis in Iran

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