Social and Cultural Issues: Misinformation in Digital Media

This essay critically evaluates the social and cultural issues surrounding misinformation within interactive digital media, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a central case study. It explores how the rapid dissemination of information through platforms like social media has led to the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories, impacting public health and societal trust. The essay examines the challenges governments and organizations face in combating misinformation, including the lack of fact-checking, biased news sources, and the speed at which false information spreads. It also delves into the responsibilities of individuals and the role of digital media companies in addressing these issues. Furthermore, the essay suggests various strategies to mitigate the spread of misinformation, such as promoting media literacy, implementing fact-checking mechanisms, and fostering responsible information sharing. It highlights the challenges associated with these solutions, emphasizing the need for collective efforts from governments, organizations, and individuals to ensure the dissemination of accurate and reliable information in the digital age. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of leveraging technology responsibly to foster an informed and resilient society.

Social and cultural issues
of interactive digital media

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
Issues surrounding misinformation in digital media................................................................................3
Suggestions..............................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing is a desirable source to flow the information amongst mass without
existence of any geographical barrier due to which being a powerful mode it is the responsibility
of the global citizen to transmit desirable information. With the introduction of Covid - 19 all
over the world government are facing tremendous issue in terms to broadcast the valuable
information and educate the people regarding the same. The main reason behind the active
transmission of false information leading false believes amongst people causing national security
issues (Park, 2012). Further, existence of misinformation has become the wide cause that has
disrupted the living of people as wider percentage of people is getting deprived of the true or fair
information. This essay covers topics like focus on the issue of misinformation that exist due to
interactive digital media. Moreover, put forward valuable suggestion that can help to control the
weird transmitted of misinformation. As it is not easy to work for the better cause so enlighten
the challenges that can be faced to implement the suggestion successfully.
Issues surrounding misinformation in digital media
Interactive digital media encompasses the role of images, text, video, audio and
documents that display particular meaning for the user and stimulate their interest. In comparison
to other traditional channel such as television and radio too transmit the information but promote
the one way communication. It simply means tradition media are not interactive platform as it
focuses on one way of communication. On other side in context to the digital media refers to the
interactive platform as it supports communication two ways of communication (Gan, Menkhoff
and Smith, 2015). This has supported the wider participation of people all around the global
leading to existence of tremendous information. This most of the times promotes misleading
information that basically misguides the reader regarding the situation. Perhaps it was the issue
from years but due to widespread of Covid –19 it has become serious issues that has disturb the
lives of mass leading to imposing of unfavorable actions. The connective of digital media is
wider and deeper in comparison to other source of broadcasting channel. In addition to that there
are various channels or tools of digital marketing like social media, email media, search engine,
affiliate marketing and so on. It has established interpersonal relationship with the user by

gaining their loyalty. Thus, some of the issues associated with misinformation in the interactive
digital media are listed down below:
Digital media is the important source of news and information nowadays the public in
this harder time is getting updated about various activity around the globe with the help of digital
media only the business are also using digital media to their advantage. This is the only way to
capture the attention of wide market (Giaccardi, 2012). There are various advantages to digital
media but at the same time people are facing issues because of digital media. Fake news and bias
news are floating regularly in digital media which can’t be trusted. Roughly one third of social
media users across countries like US, Germany, Spain, Australia, United Kingdom and so on has
reported false or misleading information about CoVid-19. It is observed that media is
continuously providing misleading news which is in exaggerated form and which can create
panic around people and this hard time. Even talking about social media company like Facebook,
LinkedIn, Google and Twitter they also issued a statement and ensure to work together so that
they can take misinformation spread. But it is spreading as fast as actual Corona virus. Even
before the case of Covid19 the social media platform was under scrutiny of spread false
information. The problem associated with that is the situation is getting worst day by day. The
nature of social media allows information to be shared with rapid speed without any filters, no
fact checking and filled with biasness. People tend to get affected by this misrepresentation of
adulteration of the actual facts (Tiago and Veríssimo, 2014).
The major drawback of digital/ social media is that anybody can use it and post anything
and lot of public are there to see that content. People can post content for free which lead to
misinformation, privacy issues and harmful content. Most of the people use digital media for
news and update so it is essential that trust factor need to generate which is lacking day by day.
Mainly digital platform like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter need serious consideration so that
stoppage needs to be made on the misinformation pass through the crucial time of COVID19.
Global officials and the public leaders who are taking care of health crises on daily basis need to
be more responsible in providing accurate and true information so that mis8nformation and
rumour can be stopped. If public officials are not coming in front to stop this misinformation it
will only keep on spreading. Thus, it is very easy to start a rumour or misinformation but
bringing it to the new it is a difficult task. Nowadays many people heavily rely to social media

and primary news source and they don’t birth to check for evidence supporting the news. The
format in which the news is shared looks creditable hence resulting in gaining the trust and
interest of the public.
Another factor which force the issue is at the bed of the day is social platform gets their
profit by keeping their users engaged. It is believed as content which is going viral is good for
the business so social media keeps on promoting that type of content irrespective if it’s validity.
It is critical to provide accurate and appropriate news in social media platforms because once the
misinformation started to float in social media it only keeps on increasing and some of the
information can play with public mind in this pandemic (Brügger and Finnemann, 2013).
With the misinformation spreading around digital media, the people are getting affected
which is resulting in wrong decision making at this time. Even company information is misleader
which can affect the public resulting in panic and unwanted stress. For the companies it is very
important to take care of information which is spread concerning them so that they can take step
to eliminate the fake information in digit media. It is known that digital media works as
spreading updates and information with the rapid speed to the people acts as the globe
(Malthouse and et. al., 2013). With the over dependency of digital media people are not bothered
to care about the evidence or source which are providing them the formation and taking
impulsive decisions from the news which they are getting from unusable sources. The public
need to be more smart and careful and should cross check the news or information from our
reliable sources and once it is done then only they should believe on the information provided to
them. Digital media should work on these cons and they should not run behind viral news which
is unreliable as they need to only highlight those new which are backed with evidence.
Therefore, it will help them to stop spreading of fake and misinterpretation of news.
Suggestions
It has become vital to control or mitigate the sources from where unreasonable
information passes and affect the whole nation. Some of the recommendation that needs to be
implemented and challenges associated with them are discussed down below:
Take responsibility to break the chain as misinformation spread from one social
networking site to other networking site leading to a large crazy chain. It is the responsibility of

the public to stop sharing negative rumours or fake information that can affect someone’s life
adversely. It is necessary to take the action against the illegitimate source of the information that
can minimise the effect of favourable information (Pujol and Champion, 2012). The challenge
associated in implementing this recommendation is that these chains do not have any end and it
is difficult to control the rumours or such fake news leading to existence of social grapevine.
Even if some person control the passage of such information does not guarantee the stoppage of
misleading information. Here, it is essential to organise awareness programme in order to
promote collective efforts.
Government in this case can take a strong initiative like they can create some special
websites which provide appropriate information to the people on frequent basis. Here social
media or digital marketing sites can be used in order to stop the spread information associated
with fake news and suggest people to look after the updates from the government sites of
Australia and of other countries. Large organisations like WHO too plays a desirable role as
people look towards their data and seek valid information. The main challenges faced by large
organisation like ITC is that to reach out amongst the mass and recollect their interest. Today
social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are loaded with enormous information
that may or may not be relevant. The visual communication attracts the people and stimulates
their interest due to which they keep on seeking the same information again and again. It is
necessary for ITC companies to display the negative reparations associated with the dependency
on such fake news.
As during the time of Covid-19 the percentage of people to carry out charity work and
donations has increased in order to help the unprivileged part of society and stabilize the
economy of country. But at the same time challenges involved with this is that the percentage of
fake Charity impostors has increased leading to high volume of Cyber crimes. The digital media
sites are loaded with such take Charity sites that use the donation for their self motives. To
overcome such situations local authority should prepare the advertisements and inform people
about undesirable use of their funds. Charities need to be promoted on the government sites so
that the cyber criminal does not get advantage out of it (Williams and McCarty, 2012). Although
it is challenging to mitigate such cases due to wide information that float on different sites.

However, it is essential to protect the interest of people from widespread of misinformation or
fake news.
Thus, these are some of the recommendation that should be adopted by government, ITC
companies and local residents itself to support the passage of relevant information by promoting
the functioning of favourable sites. This will help to feed public’s mind with legitimate
information due to which they cannot get misguided. All the potential means needs to be
implemented in order to transmit the fair and just information which simultaneously safeguard
the interest of whole society successfully.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that it is very essential to make the
significant use of the technology as it comprises of both favorable and unfavorable situation.
Digital media comprises of plenty of information and their simply exist the democracy in terms
of posting the information reflect different mindset of the people. At the same time it is vital to
control the misinformation that is specially transmitted during the time of pandemic situation is it
misguide the people. Adequate steps needs to be imposed by the local authority as well as big
organization like ITC to control such sources and post the information after carry out deep
research and by posting the source. Therefore, it can better helps to deal with the unfamiliar
situation and incorporate the inclusive effort of overall society successfully.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Park, S., 2012. Dimensions of digital media literacy and the relationship with social
exclusion. Media International Australia. 142(1). pp.87-100.
Gan, B., Menkhoff, T. and Smith, R., 2015. Enhancing students’ learning process through
interactive digital media: New opportunities for collaborative learning. Computers in Human
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Giaccardi, E. ed., 2012. Heritage and social media: Understanding heritage in a participatory
culture. Routledge.
Tiago, M. T. P. M. B. and Veríssimo, J. M. C., 2014. Digital marketing and social media: Why
bother?. Business horizons. 57(6). pp.703-708.
Brügger, N. and Finnemann, N. O., 2013. The web and digital humanities: Theoretical and
methodological concerns. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. 57(1). pp.66-80.
Malthouse, E.C. and et. al., 2013. Managing customer relationships in the social media era:
Introducing the social CRM house. Journal of interactive marketing. 27(4). pp.270-280.
Pujol, L. and Champion, E., 2012. Evaluating presence in cultural heritage
projects. International Journal of Heritage Studies. 18(1). pp.83-102.
Williams, D. L. and McCarty, P., 2012. The use of social media: an exploratory study of usage
among digital natives. Journal of Public Affairs. 12(2). pp.127-136.