Advancing Visual Health Communication Research to Improve Infodemic Response

Abstract

During public health crises like the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, there is a need to amplify and improve critical health communication messages. This need is due to pandemics producing infodemic conditions, meaning the public information environment is oversaturated with information of questionable accuracy and utility. The strategic use of visuals can be leveraged to improve the quality of health communication during public health crises and lessen the unintended effects of infodemic conditions. In this essay, we review previous visual communication theorizing and research that provide insights for effective and efficient use of graphical (e.g., data visualizations) and illustrative (e.g., photos, illustrations, and content features) visuals. We also discuss and advocate for more systematic research on visual misinformation and visual narratives, as there are significant gaps in the literature about how people interpret, act on, and engage with these visual content types. More systematic research about these areas of visual health communication research will improve public communication during future public health crises.

The causes, impacts and countermeasures of COVID-19 “Infodemic”: A systematic review using narrative synthesis

“… Recommendations for risk communication 1 Strategies and processes of risk communication need to be implemented well in advance of an actual crisis; risk communication should be integrated into all aspects of the response, whether it is about tracing the contact or caring for the sick ( JCIH Editorial Team 2020 ); 2 Researchers should participate in media debates responsibly to disclose conflicts of interest, ensure accountability, and opt for an inclusive framing. The recognition and proper risk communication for uncertainty are also important to reduce fear mongering or risk underestimation ( Kambakamba et al., 2020 ); 3 Monitoring, infodemiology, infoveillance, and social listening ( Eysenbach, 2020 ); 4 Try to make those communications even better; risk communication research will lead to a way the population can understand ( Garcia and Duarte, 2020 ; Biddlestone et al., 2020 ; Rahn, 2020 ); 5 Pay attention to framing and content associated with message texts, including language, clarity, and ability to engage; origins of the information, including official and unofficial sources; features of the platform and its audiences; as well as the timing of messages; the volume of messages, including numbers of messages initiated and re-messaged; influence of amplifiers and detractors on platforms, including autonomous social media bots ( Schillinger et al., 2020 ); 6 Interventions and messages must be based on science and evidence, enabling them to make informed decisions on protecting themselves and their communities in a health crisis; knowledge should be reorganized into actionable behavior-change messages, delivered in ways that are comprehensible and accessible to all individuals ( Tangcharoensathien et al., 2020 ); 7 Write down questions or rumors and go back to our risk communications colleagues, and then they help us find evidence-based answers ( Zarocostas, 2020 ); 8 Be honest to what you do not know; listen to the community with patience about their fears and perceptions; manage rumors and infodemic timely ( Vaezi and Javanmard, 2020 ); 9 Develop scales for risk assessment; ( Chaitow, 2020 ; Chatterjee et al., 2020 ) 10 Visual content should be designed or chosen with care to ensure the persuasiveness during the crisis ( King and Lazard, 2020 ); ...…”

Predominio de las cheapfakes en redes sociales. Complejidad técnica y funciones textuales de la desinformación desmentida en Argentina durante 2020

“…Pese a que la recontextualización de imágenes mediante textos de acompañamiento a modo de leyendas o pies de foto es la técnica más básica de generación de cheapfakes, los bulos generados mediante esta modalidad son también difíciles de detectar debido a que difunden inalterados imágenes y vídeos preexistentes (Aneja et al, 2021). El uso de fotografías y audiovisuales fuera de contexto ofrece así una vía preocupantemente eficaz y de baja complejidad tecnológica hacia la desinformación (Fazio, 2020), que ha sido ampliamente utilizada durante la pandemia de COVID-19 (King y Lazard, 2020).…”

evolución de las imágenes del coronavirus en los informativos de las televisiones españolas y su relación con las imágenes científicas del virus

“…La crisis sanitaria de la covid-19 ha producido una sobreabundancia de información sobre la pandemia, denominada infodemia (Zielinski, 2021). Las imágenes audiovisuales constituyen una parte relevante de esta información y sus características pueden contribuir a reforzar las actitudes recomendadas por la comunidad médica para combatir los efectos de la pandemia (King y Lazard, 2020). Algunos autores han denominado «infodemia de baja calidad» a la publicación en medios de comunicación de imágenes poco fidedignas desde el punto de vista científico (Andreu-Sánchez y Martín Pascual, 2020; Rivas y Calero, 2020) y su posible inducción a informaciones erróneas (Brenen, Simon y Nielsen, 2021).…”