Speakers: Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan and Dr. Maria Diosa Labiste
Our perception towards the world is shaped by knowledge and our knowledge is developed by consuming information obtained through communication materials and mediums. Information then achieves significance when the receivers transform them into meaningful interpretations, especially with how the receivers react towards certain situations.
In this webinar series, the first session discusses two topics that are prevalent during the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan, from the College of Medicine, UP Manila, begins with the issue of the COVID-19 Infodemic. Similarly, Dr. Maria Diosa Labiste, from the College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman, follows the session with a lecture on the Presidential Polemics and Disinformation during the Pandemic.
Due to the prevalence of social media, most of the time, the audience only consumes the information posted online. The lack of skills on how to decipher legitimate information versus fake news is seen as a challenge on getting the right ideas and meaning interpretations across. In this so-called “infodemic,” the audience is “overwhelmed by too much information,” says to Dr. Isip-Tan, and is “unable to sort [the] information you need to protect yourself and your community in this pandemic.”
Infodemic increased during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenon affected the COVID-19 prevention programs and influenced how the masses act and react. There were difficulties of persuading the masses to listen and adhere to the health and social protocols. Dr. Lebiste highlights that “interventions and messages must be based on science and evidence.” However, due to the rising uncertainty that has become a part of public health emergencies, persuading the public to practice proper protocols became a challenge.
One of the key factors in the art of persuasion is rhetoric. The communication medium used to get the information across the audiences influences the outcome of the communication process. The ethos and the credibility of the communication media are integral factors. Credibility helps sway the audience whether to believe or ignore the message. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the masses were relying on the information coming from the former President Rodrigo Duterte, influencing the actions of the masses. Dr. Lebiste presented the formula “Incompetence + Fear = Duterte”. Fear was the driving force for the people to follow protocols despite the lack of information towards the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the surge of many information that went along the rise of COVID-19 cases, how did “infodemic” impact the COVID-19 pandemic situation? How did the ethos and the credibility of the communication media affect our actions and reactions?