Through the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), the EU supports a European network of fact-checkers, including TheJournal in Ireland. For a monthly roundup of European fact-checks, visit the main EDMO website. Here, we highlight recent fact-checks by TheJournal FactCheck team.
Misinformation is leading to abuse and harassment of staff and volunteers in NGOs
New research for EDMO found that misinformation targeting NGOs has led to routine harassment of staff and volunteers, particularly in organisations supporting migrants and LGBTQ+ communities. The report also highlighted the use of “bait emails” designed to provoke responses that can later be shared online to fuel abuse and disinformation. Published: 13 May – by Shane Raymond
Debunked: The WHO has not said hantavirus is ‘spreading very fast across the world’
Claims circulating online that the World Health Organization warned hantavirus was “spreading very fast across the world” are false. The outbreak remains limited to a small number of cases connected to a cruise ship, and the WHO has stated the overall public health risk remains low. Published: 15 May – by Shane Raymond
‘Covid 2.0’: Pandemic-era conspiracies return after the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship
Conspiracy theories linking a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship to Covid-19, vaccines and planned pandemics spread rapidly online following reports of confirmed cases. The article examined how familiar pandemic-era narratives and monetised misinformation accounts are fuelling fear and confusion around the outbreak despite public health experts assessing the wider risk as low. Published: 14 May – by Shane Raymond
