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International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Fake News and Misinformation: Covid-19 & Challenges Confronted by Malaysian’s Ministry of Health

Norazlinda Hj Mohammad, Sara Chinnasamy, Shifa Faizal, Norena Abdul Karim Zamri

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i5/13010

Open access

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a significant global public health crisis. Malaysia has announced several Movement Control Orders (MCO) to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Amidst this, there has been a hidden epidemic of information that makes COVID-19 stand out as a digital infodemic with plethora of misinformation, rumors and conspiracy theories. Repeated and detailed content on COVID-19, geographical statistics, and multiple sources of information have lead to chronic stress and confusion. This has challenged the Malaysian Ministry of Health to encounter fake information circulation on social media since March 2020 despite political struggles and the change of government. This paper aims to identify types of fake misinformation circulated during the MCO and to what extent the ministry have curb fake information. Using qualitative method, textual analysis applied to the selected social media platforms which were identified based on the pages hits along with the ministry’s social media pages. Posted headings, pictures, figures, news and intervention actions taken by the ministry were examined according to thematical approach. The findings show that Malaysia had an extensive circulation of fake news on COVID-19 fake remedies, vaccines extreme views, and doubt on health strategies.

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In-Text Citation: (Mohammad et al., 2022)
To Cite this Article: Mohammad, N. H., Chinnasamy, S., Faizal, S., & Zamri, N. A. K. (2022). Fake News and Misinformation: Covid-19 & Challenges Confronted by Malaysian’s Ministry of Health. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 12(5), 1276 – 1295.