Why medical professionals need to take up fact-checking

April 2, 2022

It’s not good enough to know that you know the facts, you need to step up and set the record straight. Debunking false claims, particularly about health, is...

OP-ED

How misinformation is making India’s fight against COVID-19 more difficult

March 12, 2022

At the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in India viral videos suggested that Indians use home remedies such as clove, black pepper, caraway (ajwain), and...

Speakers on Challenges in Misinformation in Medicine Summit

In Focus

“People believe misinformation, because they are desperate”

January 31, 2022

#MMS22 brought together experts from India, Italy, Philippines and Zimbabwe to discuss and deliberate on the challenges and opportunities to address health...

First Check

No miracle cures for the heart

November 22, 2021

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YouTube videos advocate easy, home-based remedies that not only promise complete cure, but also prevention of future heart problems. However, there’s little...

First Check

Bottle gourd juice can be toxic

November 19, 2021

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Research has established that consumption of bitter bottle gourd juice can be life-threatening. Yet the popularity of YouTube videos hailing the many virtues...

First Check

What The Fact! – How information deficits fuel misinformation

November 16, 2021

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People tend to engage more with misinformation than factual information. The reason: misinformation promises quick-fixes, a quicker road to recovery and a...

First Check

Smokers beware: No quick fixes to detox the lungs

November 12, 2021

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November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Despite social media posts declaring that “lungs can be easily detoxed after smoking” with homemade remedies, there’s...

First Check

What The Fact! – India blames women for climate change woes

November 2, 2021

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There is a sizeable section that peddles misinformation, mis-attributes natural calamities to everything but climate change, and spreads canards about...

First Check

Beware of misleading Instagram posts on breast cancer

October 30, 2021

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Under the guise of spreading awareness, unscientific claims – that have been debunked over the years – continue to be popular on the social media. An...

First Check

The Facebook Papers: How vaccine misinformation thrived

October 29, 2021

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While Facebook claims to have made “considerable progress” with downgrading misinformation regarding COVID vaccines in users’ feeds, the internal company...