The epistemic tragedy of coronavirus misinformation

Yesterday, four of the most powerful men on earth—Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook; Jeff Bezos, of Amazon; Tim Cook, of Apple; and Sundar Pichai, of Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube—were dragged to Capitol Hill (well, a videoconference) to answer to a subcommittee of the House of Representatives. As well as allegations of monopolistic practices, abuses of privacy, and political bias, lawmakers asked about the spread of misinformation on social media, including content related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat who chairs the subcommittee, grilled Zuckerberg on a nonsense-stuffed COVID video that went massively viral earlier this week before Facebook pulled it down. Cicilline accused Facebook of exploiting such harmful content to juice engagement. Zuckerberg denied this. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, also asked about the incident. He described a claim from the video as “a legitimate matter of discussion,” and wanted to know why Facebook had punished Donald Trump, Jr., for sharing it. Zuckerberg gently replied that Twitter, not Facebook, had acted against Trump, Jr. So such hearings go. The content that perturbed Cicilline and Sensenbrenner, for different reasons, was published on Monday by Breitbart, and featured a group of doctors, in immaculate medical garb, making far-from-immaculate claims, including that masks don’t work against COVID-19, and that hydroxychloroquine, the antimalarial... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-07-30 12:26:10 UTC ]
News tagged with: #local context #nieman reports #hearst

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The epistemic tragedy of coronavirus misinformation'


Small Press Distribution is asking for $100,000 to cover coronavirus-related losses.

Small Press Distribution, which has brought titles from hundreds of independent publishers to readers for more than 50 years, is in urgent need of financial help to keep from folding. A GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise $100,000 to cover its next month of costs, including health care for its... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-21 15:11:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent publishers #gofundme campaign #small press


Hugh Bonneville voices audiobook for Nosy Crow coronavirus title

"Paddington" and "Downton Abbey" star Hugh Bonneville is voicing the free audiobook for Nosy Crow's recently released children's e-book about coronavirus.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-20 18:06:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #downton abbey #nosy crow #e-book #audiobook


Coronavirus continues to take its toll on the media industry

It’s hard to imagine an industry more poorly prepared for the arrival of a global pandemic than the media business. Even before “coronavirus” became a household word, the industry was already reeling from a series of body blows, most of them delivered by Google and Facebook and their dominance... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-20 11:45:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trump administration #lives depend #personal essay #dark places #news publisher


Booker International Prize postponed over coronavirus

The awarding of the £50,000 International Booker Prize ceremony is being postponed from May until later in the summer because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-20 00:41:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #covid-19 pandemic


Duffy and Manchester Writing School launch coronavirus poetry project

Poet Carol Ann Duffy and the Manchester Writing School have launched an international poetry project in response to the coronavirus. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-19 14:30:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Coronavirus fundraiser: Help support photographers with these incredible prints

The photography community is fighting back with print sales to raise money for struggling artists during the COVID-19 recession. As the coronavirus pandemic forces us to embrace living remotely, often limiting our connection to the outside world to digital platforms and images, professional... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-04-18 12:31:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fighting back #raise money #digital platforms #raise funds #physical version #raising money #print sales


As brands block coronavirus, streaming app Newsy opens an ad slot free from bad news

Digital publisher develops commercial break that avoids pandemic stories, as industry struggles with skittish advertisers. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2020-04-17 17:36:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bad news #digital publisher


Coronavirus: IPA Again Calls on Egypt to Release Publisher Khaled Lotfy

As the COVID-19 impact intensifies in prisons, the International Publishers Association again appeals to Egypt for Khaled Lotfy's release. The post Coronavirus: IPA Again Calls on Egypt to Release Publisher Khaled Lotfy appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-17 15:59:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post coronavirus #khaled lotfy #publishers association


Coronavirus is topic one among newly announced L.A. Times Book Prize winners

The 14 Times book prize winners, including Steph Cha, Namwali Serpell, Marlon James and George Packer, were honored in a virtual ceremony on Twitter. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-04-17 15:53:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #newly announced #namwali serpell #marlon james #george packer #virtual ceremony #times book


Sphere to publish 'necessary' essay collection on coronavirus pandemic

Sphere is publishing a collection of essays providing "a new non-fiction take on the Covid-19 pandemic". Titled A Little Light, it contains contributions from journalists including the science editors of both the Times and the Telegraph. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-17 00:13:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #essay collection #coronavirus pandemic #covid-19 pandemic


Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda has died of coronavirus at 70.

After a six-week battle with coronavirus, the Chilean author Luis Sepúlveda has died at the age of 70. The government of Asturias, where he was living in Spain, confirmed his death today. The author had been hospitalized in late February soon after attending a literary festival in Portugal. He... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-16 18:35:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #late february #literary festival


Coronavirus: Germany Is To Follow Italy in Potential Bookstore Openings

Exemplary among many markets for its early testing and responsible distancing regulations, Germany looks will let bookstores begin reopening Monday. The post Coronavirus: Germany Is To Follow Italy in Potential Bookstore Openings appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-16 15:02:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post coronavirus #bookstore


Taylor & Francis owner Informa issues shares as coronavirus hits business

Taylor & Francis owner Informa has launched an issue of shares worth 19.9% of its existing capital as the coronavirus pandemic hits its events business. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-15 15:21:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #existing capital #events business


How can skill swapping help self-employed publishing professionals and jobseekers in a time of Coronavirus?

Laura Summers, creator of BookMachine, explains how skill swapping can build connections for self-employed publishing people during the lockdown Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-15 13:43:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


16 meaty book series to get you through coronavirus stay-at-home orders

The best series of books in four categories — including highbrow ('Wolf Hall'), L.A. favorites (Easy Rollins) and epic histories (Taylor Branch). Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-04-14 16:00:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wolf hall #book series


The difficulty of seeing the coronavirus

Last week, Elahe Izadi and Sarah Ellison wrote, for the Washington Post, on the difficulties reporters face getting access to, and information from, hospitals. “The coronavirus pandemic has been likened to a war,” they observed. “But journalists are largely absent from the harrowing,... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-10 12:10:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rui pinto— #faces charges #house arrest #erik larson #hearst


‘We’re just doing our best to adapt’: Emma Straub on running an indie bookstore amid coronavirus

The best-selling author and co-owner of Books Are Magic discusses how her store is weathering the crisis while supporting writers, staff, and other bookstores. For years, independent bookstores fought to stay in business in the face of big box stores and Amazon’s unstoppable growth. Now, they... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-04-10 10:30:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business online #emma straub #coronavirus pandemic #best-selling author #bookstore


Here's what Tampa Bay universities and colleges are doing to help fight coronavirus

University of South Florida The region's biggest research institution is tackling coronavirus on many fronts. USF Libraries has created a map that updates in real-time with the number of coronavirus cases and deaths, breaking down those statistics further into residential status, sex and age.... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2020-04-09 16:01:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tackling coronavirus #south florida #usf libraries #libraries


In Italy, Coronavirus Books Rush to Publication

Doctors, novelists and other writers are exploring, as quickly as they can, the pandemic’s impact on a country that was among its earliest victims. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-04-09 14:40:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #novelists


Spanish Author Javier Castillo Meets 60,000 Fans Online During Coronavirus Lockdown

The Snow Girl by bestselling author Javier Castillo came out two days before Spain's coronavirus lockdown. So his publisher Suma took his 30-city book tour online—where thousands of fans were waiting. The post Spanish Author Javier Castillo Meets 60,000 Fans Online During Coronavirus Lockdown... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-09 14:00:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coronavirus lockdown #book tour #bestselling author