This post is related to something that has impacted all of us individually and collectively over the past months. With every negative impact there are learnings to take away. Coronavirus (CoVid-19) is a terrible virus that, right now is classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and is spreading throughout the world impacting the lives of millions. It is so serious that many countries in Europe are on lock down and flights around the world are being halted. Every news outlet around the world is covering stories surrounding the Coronavirus issues, some stories creating more harm than good. That is why I wanted to share what one of my learnings from the Coronavirus issue is so far.
Before I proceed I want to ensure that you are following the latest guidelines from the government, keeping yourself and others healthy and safe!
PING! Every hour there is a brand new alert on my phone. A media outlet has released a new story or update on Coronavirus. Usually, I don’t react quickly to these alerts. I will wait and read them because I don’t like the distractions. However, with something that is changing so rapidly and affect people collectively and also me personally, I click my phone screen and begin to read the article. After the first paragraph or two I make a decision, do I believe this article to be true or is this click bait?
If it is the former, I will read on a bit more. I will asses the information provided and continue reading if I believe it to be true. At the end I will go on to look for other sources sharing or verify the same information, including official pages. If it is the latter, click bait, I will move on.
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What is click bait?
This is where media outlet/ blog websites/ social media posts will use key and shocking headlines, such as Coronavirus or CoVid 19, to get you to click on their post to drive traffic to their website when the post has no substance, only to get to you to click more pages.
What this huge issue so far has reminded me is the importance of verifying information and doing my own research. Every day I hear a new rumour being spread by someone with no substance or purpose, only to create gossip and panic. The problem with this is that if we start to believe something, which is based off a rumour because we think we trust someone, that can lead us to believing something that is false. This can lead us down the wrong path, create anxiety and panic.
By ensuring that we all verify first and believe second is the lesson.
So how can you do this?
- Don’t blindly believe headlines
- Do your research and verify what you read
- Be warming of click bait (in particularly from gossip based and small social media outlets)
- When reading opinions and facts, check if there is any substantiation behind them
- Don’t believe your mate because he heard from his mate who read it on the back of a crisp packet.
- Trust your instincts. If it seems wrong, it may well be. Research it.
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Whilst all of this is going on remember to keep safe and help by not spreading virus and reducing the impact of panic.
- Listen to official government safety advice. Your health is more important than gossip and rumours.
- Wash your hands. See below for WHO advice on how to properly wash your hands.
- Don’t panic buy. We are in this together.
Help keep positivity at the forefront of what we do and share this with your friends and colleagues.
How to reference this page:
Toor, J. (2020). What Did I Learn About Media During The Coronavirus? Available at: https://pmgrowth.co/what-did-i-learn-about-media-during-the-coronavirus?/