Miscommunicating the COVID-19 Pandemic

This timely book offers a sobering reflection on the disruptions that the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked on our information landscape. Governments in Asia faced significant uphill battles in securing public trust in lockdowns, quarantine measures, vaccinations and treatments. Given the high level of connectivity among most Asian populations, misinformation and disinformation spread even more swiftly than the disease. Nevertheless, many Asian countries were able to mount effective and creative campaigns to allay public concerns and disseminate accurate information. The lessons learnt from this dark period will illuminate and aid societal responses to future challenges. This book performs the invaluable role of capturing those critical learning points. Professor Sun Sun Lim, Vice President, Partnerships and Engagement at the Singapore Management University, Singapore Team-authored Miscommunicating the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asia is a vital new book that examines the diffusion and impact of COVID-19 misinformation in Asia’s leading cities. Misinformation has become a global pandemic itself in the 21st century, and understanding its nature and impact is essential. Led by the distinguished scholar, Ran Wei, a team of international scholars including Ven-Hwei Lo, Yi-Hui Christine Huang, Dong Dong, Hai Liang, Guanxiong Huang, and Sibo Wang has collaborated to provide a vital new work of ground-breaking scholarship. Supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Regin, China, this book is comprehensive in scope and delivers empirical findings to illuminate the types of infodemic messages that circulate on social media platforms, the factors that account for exposure to and engagement with COVID-19 misinformation, and how exposure to COVID-19 misinformation influences the public’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. This theoretically and methodologically powerful book is a must-read for all students, scholars and policymakers concerned about COVID-19 misinformation in Asia’s leading cities. Professor John V. Pavlik, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA The global nature of the COVID pandemic provided a valuable opportunity for the cross-national analyses provided in this volume and the lessons they provide. Above all, we need reliable ways to connect the public to credible information, a need that transcends national system. Stephen D. Reese, Jesse H. Jones Professor of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin, USA