14/03/2025
Author: Sergi Xaudiera
Programme: Doctoral Programme in Information and Knowledge Society
Language: Catalan
Supervision: Ana S. Cardenal
Faculty / Institute: Doctoral School UOC
Subjects: Communication
Key words: Cybersecurity, Computational social sciences, Crisis communication, COVID-19, Misinformation, Emergency management, Infodemia, Infodemic, Social media, Social networks
Area of knowledge: Information and Knowledge Society
Abstract:
The rise of misinformation that has accompanied emergency situations in the last decade has generated an incredibly complex information ecosystem. There is no simple response to this threat, and conventional strategies have proven ineffective, putting people's health and safety at risk. To mitigate its negative effects, a multidisciplinary approach is needed, harnessing the data available from social platforms and a set of methods adapted to new dissemination tactics. This thesis undertakes part of this challenge by studying the spread of alternative narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using computational methods, it studies the contagion between different European regions from a regional perspective, the role of credible sources and the type of visual content most shared. In addition, it completes the picture with the infodemic management experience of a regional government. This holistic approach is essential for tackling this problem, as it allows us to understand the mechanisms that influence the spread of information and to design more effective government strategies to tackle it.