Russia accused of spreading coronavirus disinformation

The UK’s Sky News reported on an accusation that Russia had been respopnsible for spreading coronavirus disinformation.

Russia has been accused by an EU monitoring team of amplifying the spread of conspiracy theories over COVID-19.

The country responded by denying the allegation, accusing the EU, ironically, of “fake news”.

Sky News YouTube Channel

At The Global Herald, because we take news from a variety of commercial and state-funded outlets around the globe – to help build a picture of how events are reported – there has already been an answer to this from Russian state-sponsored broadcaster, Russia Today, in this item on coronavirus disinformation, here.

What’s the difference between Misinformation and Disinformation?

Misinformation – this is any incorrect information, perhaps in error, which is shared without malicious intent. For example, people trying to be helpful, but actually sharing bad advice.

Disinformation – this is deliberately false information, distributed in order to give people a false impression. For example, a Secret Service producing deliberately bad medical advice via social media, in order to destabilise trust in social media as a source of information.

It is easy to see how modern methods of communication allow disinformation to turn into misinformation, as every user is given a mechanism to amplify and share messages.

It is always important to ascertain the original source of any information you consume – and, particularly, share online.


In This Story: COVID-19

Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
  • a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
  • shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)

Latest News about Covid-19

Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.

5 Recent Items: COVID-19

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Dr Anthony Fauci ‘became part of the problem’ when it came to the spread of Covid misinformation

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In This Story: Russia

Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the south.

Russia spans more than one-eighth of the Earth’s inhabited land area, stretching eleven time zones, and bordering 16 sovereign nations. Moscow is the country’s capital.

The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 and since 1993 Russia been governed as a federal semi-presidential republic. Russia is a major great power, with the world’s second-most powerful military, and the fourth-highest military expenditure. As a recognised nuclear-weapon state, the country possesses the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons.

3 Recent Items: Russia

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