Coronavirus in Spain: Fear of "official" fake news boosts WhatsApp and alternative sources Articles uri icon

publication date

  • June 2020

start page

  • 462

end page

  • 466

issue

  • 2

volume

  • 8

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 2183-2439

abstract

  • The communication of the Coronavirus crisis in Spain has two unexpected components: the rise of the information on socialnetworks, especially WhatsApp, and the consolidation of TV programs on mystery and esotericism. Both have emergedto "tell the truth" in opposition to official sources and public media. For a country with a long history of treating scienceand the media as properties of the state, this very radical development has surprised communication scholars.

subjects

  • Information Science

keywords

  • coronavirus; covid-19; fake news; journalism; social media; spain; whatsapp; youtube