Reality Bending Lab › Publications › Exploring the Role of News Outlets in the Rise of a Conspiracy Theory: Hydroxychloroquine in the Early Days of COVID-19

Exploring the Role of News Outlets in the Rise of a Conspiracy Theory: Hydroxychloroquine in the Early Days of COVID-19

Dickinson, R., Makowski, D., van Marwijk, H., & Ford, E.

COVID, 2024

Improper use of hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 has been linked to some 17,000 preventable deaths. A thematic analysis of 128 news pieces from a fortnight in March 2020 shows the coverage amplifying right-wing political elites, leaning on optimistic framing and anecdote, and hardening a split between Trump supporters and the public health apparatus.

Abstract

Improper use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 has been linked to 17,000 preventable deaths. This content analysis study investigates the emergence of this conspiracy theory, the role of the news media in perpetuating and disseminating it, and whether coverage differed by outlet political alignment. We searched Nexis for relevant media from 17–31 March 2020. A total of 128 media pieces were coded qualitatively and thematically analysed. The news media amplified the voices of right-wing political elites and used a variety of manipulative tactics in reporting on hydroxychloroquine. Powerful ingroup/outgroup mechanisms polarised the American public and created a schism between Trump supporters and the public health apparatus that reflected the political asymmetry in reporting on hydroxychloroquine. The widespread use of optimistic framings and anecdotal evidence contributed to public misunderstandings of the evidence. Therefore, strategic and interventionist public health efforts are required to combat misinformation. This study informs discussions of how politicised media coverage catalyses conspiracism.

Keywords: Misinformation · Reality Beliefs

Cite

Dickinson, R., Makowski, D., van Marwijk, H., & Ford, E. (2024). Exploring the Role of News Outlets in the Rise of a Conspiracy Theory: Hydroxychloroquine in the Early Days of COVID-19. COVID. https://doi.org/10.3390/covid4120132

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Reality Bending Lab

Exploring the neuropsychology of reality and its distortions.

The Reality Bending Lab, led by Dominique Makowski at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK, conducts world-leading research on reality perception, illusions, fake news, AI-beliefs, deception and its links with emotions, cognitive control and the Self. Using recording signals from the body (ECG, EDA…) and the brain (EEG), we analyse data using advanced modelling (Bayesian statistics, chaos theory, computational models) and develop open-source tools to improve neuropsychological science.

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