Hoaxes’ anatomy: Analysis of disinformation during the coronavirus pandemic in Europe (2020-2022)

Abstract

The escalating proliferation of disinformation throughout Europe, exacerbated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates a rigorous examination of its ramifications for public health. This study undertakes an investigation into trends in pandemic-related disinformation in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland spanning the period from 2020 to 2022. In this way, a meticulous content analysis of 704 publications from fact-checking sites was conducted. To augment the study’s robustness and provide a nuanced perspective on the evolving nature of disinformation, case studies were meticulously incorporated. The data reveals that despite of the professionalization of deep fakes, 43% of disinformation propagated through textual means, predominantly leveraging social networks (75%), especially Facebook and WhatsApp. Notably, misinformation pertaining to vaccines constituted the most prevalent narrative among disinformation stories, comprising 25.85% of the total. Moreover, as the pandemic unfolded, the thematic focus of disinformation adapted to the distinct contexts of each country. Furthermore, 47.16% of the content was found to be fabricated, with the primary objective of amplifying a common adversary accounting for 39.77% of cases. Given the contemporary relevance and public significance of this subject, the overarching objective of this research has been to scrutinise the dynamics of disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Consequently, the findings of this study carry a distinct European public service orientation.