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Misinformation represents a vital threat to the societal fabric of modern economies. While skills interventions to detect misinformation such as de-bunking and prebunking, media literacy, and manipulation resilience have begun to receive increased attention, evidence on de-biasing interventions and their link with misinformation vulnerability is scarce. We explore the demand for misinformation through the lens of augmenting critical thinking in an online framed field experiment during the 2022 Presidential election in Colombia. Data from roughly 2.000 individuals suggest that providing individuals with information about their own biases (obtained through a personality test) has no impact on skepticism towards news. But (additionally) showing participants a de-biasing video seems to enhance critical thinking, causing subjects to more carefully consider the truthfulness of potential misinformation.

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INTRODUCTION: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about global uncertainties and fears, escalating the dissemination of fake news. This study aims to analyze the impact of fake news on COVID-19 vaccine adherence among pregnant women, providing crucial insights for effective communication strategies during the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted with 113 pregnant women under care at a Women's Health Reference Center. Data analysis included relative frequency and odds ratio to assess the relationship between sociodemographic and behavioral variables regarding vaccination. RESULTS: In the behavioral context of vaccination, internet access shows a significant association with decision-making, influencing vaccine refusal due to online information. Nuances in the odds ratios results highlight the complexity of vaccine hesitancy, emphasizing the importance of information quality. Pre-vaccination sentiments include stress (87.61%), fear (50.44%), and anxiety (40.7%), indicating the need for sensitive communication strategies. DISCUSSION: Results revealed that pregnant women with higher education tend to adhere more to vaccination. Exposure to news about vaccine inefficacy had a subtle association with hesitancy, while finding secure sources was negatively associated with hesitancy. The behavioral complexity in the relationship between online information access and vaccination decision underscores the need for effective communication strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In the face of this challenging scenario, proactive strategies, such as developing specific campaigns for pregnant women, are essential. These should provide clear information, debunk myths, and address doubts. A user-centered approach, understanding their needs, is crucial. Furthermore, ensuring information quality and promoting secure sources are fundamental measures to strengthen trust in vaccination and enhance long-term public health.

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This article critically examines the intricate relationship between cancel culture and fake news, shedding light on their collective impact on current societies. The changing social landscape, marked by the transition from the "network society" to the "platform society," has given rise to unprecedented phenomena such as cancel culture. Rooted in social media complaints, cancel culture intersects with the dissemination of intentionally created false information, forming a complex web of dynamics. The study explores the multifaceted nature of cancel culture, its unintended consequences and the nuanced definitions surrounding it. The synthesis of erasure culture and fake news prompts critical reflections on the democratization of information, the protection of fundamental rights, and the potential risks to democracies of an unbridled online narrative. As digital networks continue to play a central role in everyday life, understanding and addressing these challenges is essential to maintaining a balanced discourse that upholds democratic values.

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ABSTRACT Objectives: to understand how fake news has influenced adherence to Covid-19 immunization, from the perspective of health professionals. Methods: a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study was conducted in Campo Grande - MS. Twenty nursing professionals working in vaccine rooms or managing immunobiologicals participated through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, fully transcribed, and subjected to thematic content analysis. Results: two categories emerged in which the professionals highlighted an increase in vaccine hesitancy among the population, influenced by fake news and denialist actions, which negatively interfered with the population's trust in vaccines and in the professionals administering them. Final Considerations: concerns about vaccine safety and denialist actions by authorities and media outlets can contribute to the phenomenon of non-vaccination. The valorization of science, the promotion of educational actions, and raising public awareness about immunization were presented as strategies to increase vaccine coverage

RESUMEN Objetivos: comprender cómo las fake news influyeron en la adhesión a la inmunización contra la Covid-19, desde la perspectiva de los profesionales de la salud. Métodos: estudio cualitativo, descriptivo-exploratorio, realizado en Campo Grande - MS. Participaron 20 profesionales de enfermería que trabajan en la sala de vacunas o en la gestión de inmunobiológicos, a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas. Las entrevistas fueron grabadas, transcritas en su totalidad y sometidas a análisis de contenido, en la modalidad temática. Resultados: surgieron dos categorías en las que los profesionales destacaron el aumento de la vacilación vacunal por parte de la población, la influencia de las fake news y de acciones negacionistas que interfirieron negativamente en la confianza de la población en las vacunas y en los profesionales que las aplican. Consideraciones Finales: preguntas sobre la seguridad de la vacunación y acciones negacionistas realizadas por autoridades y medios de comunicación pueden generar el fenómeno de la no vacunación. La valorización de la ciencia, la promoción de acciones educativas y la concienciación de la población sobre la inmunización fueron presentadas como estrategias para aumentar la cobertura vacunal.

RESUMO Objetivoss: apreender como as fake news influenciaram na adesão à imunização contra a Covid-19, na perspectiva dos profissionais de saúde. Métodos: estudo qualitativo, descritivo-exploratório, realizado em Campo Grande - MS. Participaram 20 profissionais de enfermagem atuantes em sala de vacina ou gestão de imunobiológicos, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. As entrevistas foram audiogravadas, transcritas na íntegra e submetidas à análise de conteúdo, na modalidade temática. Resultados: emergiram duas categorias nas quais os profissionais destacaram o aumento da hesitação vacinal por parte da população, a influência das fake news e de ações negacionistas que interferiram negativamente na confiança da população nas vacinas e nos profissionais que as aplicam. Considerações Finais: questionamentos em relação à segurança vacinal e ações negacionistas realizadas por autoridades e veículos midiáticos podem gerar o fenômeno da não vacinação. A valorização da ciência, a promoção de ações de educação e a conscientização populacional quanto à imunização foram apresentadas como estratégias para aumento da cobertura vacinal.

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RESUMEN En la actualidad, la ignorancia, aunque útil para aspirar a la verdad, se ha convertido en un espacio vacío, donde las verdades existentes son modificadas a través de las noticias falsas o posverdad, estrategia de la agnogénesis. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar la presencia del fenómeno de la posverdad en 26 países de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC). Los aspectos metodológicos corresponden a una perspectiva netnográfica. Se utilizaron técnicas de análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo. Se realizó una búsqueda y análisis de publicaciones científicas en de bases de datos e información de los organismos Transparencia Internacional, Banco Mundial y Observatorio de Infodemia COVID-19. Los resultados permitieron determinar que la posverdad es un fenómeno ampliamente presente y relevante en ALC, difundida a través de los diversos medios de comunicación, pero con importancia relevante de las redes sociales. En ALC, la vulnerabilidad a la agnogénesis se correlacionó con la alta percepción de la corrupción por parte de la población. Se requiere profundizar en el estudio del fenómeno con enfoques multidisciplinarios, considerando la diversidad de contextos en la región.

ABSTRACT Nowadays, ignorance, although useful to aspire to truth, has become an empty space where existing truths are modified through fake news or post-truth, a strategy of agnogenesis. The objective of the study was to identify the presence of the post-truth phenomenon in 26 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The methodological aspects correspond to a netnographic perspective. Qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques were used. A search and analysis of scientific publications in databases and information from Transparency International, the World Bank and the Observatory of Infodemics COVID-19 was carried out. The results made it possible to determine that post-truth is a widely present and relevant phenomenon in LAC, disseminated through the various media, but with relevant importance of social networks. In LAC, vulnerability to agnogenesis correlated with the high perception of corruption by the population. Further study of the phenomenon is required with multidisciplinary approaches, considering the diversity of contexts in the region.

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A polarização política pode ser entendida como o afastamento severo de grupos com pensamentos e sentimentos opostos aos do seu grupo político. No cenário brasileiro, a polarização está presente em diversos contextos, principalmente no contexto político e pode ser capaz de influenciar o endosso de notícias falsas. Buscando entender as fake news em um contexto de polarização política, o presente artigo buscou avaliar a relação entre a polarização política e a crença em notícias falsas, tanto de esquerda quanto de direita. Para tanto, 211 participantes responderam um questionário contendo quatro instrumentos distintos: termômetro de sentimentos; avaliação de notícias; posicionamento político; e suscetibilidade às notícias falsas. Os resultados indicaram que os indivíduos tendem a acreditar em notícias falsas do seu próprio grupo político, embora participantes de direita apresentem uma maior tendência de endossar fake news em comparação com participantes de esquerda. De maneira geral, verificou-se que a polarização política afeta o endosso de fake news. Implicações para compreensão e combate às fake news são discutidas.

Political polarization can be understood as the strong alienation of groups with thoughts and feelings opposite to those of their political group. In the Brazilian scenario, polarization is present in different contexts, especially in the political context and can influence the endorsement of fake news. Seeking to understand fake news in the context of political polarization, the present article sought to evaluate the relationship between political polarization and belief in fake news, both on the left and on the right. To this end, 211 participants completed a questionnaire that included four different instruments: mood thermometer; news rating; political positioning; and susceptibility to fake news. The results indicate that individuals tend to believe fake news from their own political group, although participants from the right-wing participants are more likely to endorse fake news than participants to left-wing participants. Overall, political polarization was found to affect the endorsement of fake news. Implications for understanding and combating fake news are discussed.

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Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é analisar os efeitos da infodemia relacionada à COVID-19 na perspectiva dos trabalhadores da saúde no Brasil em relação aos pacientes, mensurar os impactos das notícias falsas para profissionais de saúde e verificar a percepção das equipes multiprofissionais de saúde quanto ao posicionamento das autoridades. Estudo transversal vinculado à pesquisa Condições de Trabalho dos Profissionais da Saúde no Contexto da COVID-19 no Brasil. A amostra não probabilística, de abrangência nacional, incluiu 15.132 profissionais que atuaram na linha de frente do enfrentamento à COVID-19 em instituições de saúde de 2.200 municípios de todo o Brasil. Para 91% dos entrevistados, as fake news são um obstáculo no combate ao vírus Sars-CoV-2; 76,1% declararam ter atendido pacientes que expressaram fé em fake news sobre a COVID-19; 29,3% concordam que os posicionamentos das autoridades sanitárias sobre a COVID-19 foram consistentes e esclarecedores, e 62,6% discordam. Para os entrevistados, a infodemia sobre a COVID-19 confundiu os pacientes, prejudicou a adesão a medidas sanitárias fundamentais e estimulou comportamentos negativos da população em relação à pandemia. A falta de clareza dos posicionamentos das autoridades influiu no processo infodêmico sobre a COVID-19.

Abstract This article aims to analyze the effects of the COVID-19 infodemic from the perspective of Brazilian health workers regarding the patients, measure the impacts of fake news on health professionals, and verify the perception of health multidisciplinary teams regarding the authorities' stance. This cross-sectional study is nested in the research "Health Professionals' Working Conditions in the Brazilian Context of COVID-19". The nationwide non-probability sampling included 15,132 professionals who worked in the COVID-19 frontline in health institutions of 2,200 Brazilian municipalities. Approximately 91% of respondents believed that fake news is an obstacle in fighting the SARS-CoV-2 virus; 76.1% declared they had seen patients who expressed faith in fake news about COVID-19; 29.3% agreed that the health authorities' stance about COVID-19 was consistent and enlightening, and 62.6% disagreed about this. The respondents believe that the COVID-19 infodemic confused patients, impaired adherence to PHC measures, and stirred people's negative behavior vis-à-vis the pandemic. The lack of clarity of the authorities' stance influenced the COVID-19 infodemic process.

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O impacto das fake news chegou à área da saúde e a desconfiança em relação às vacinas trouxe de volta doenças até então erradicadas. Mas como os discursos antivacinasão construídos nas redes sociais? Neste trabalho, 80fake news com foco nas vacinas foram coletadas de sites brasileiros que realizam debunking, uma estratégia de detecção e desmascaramento de desinformação e fake news. A partir da aplicação de um protocolo analítico, mapeamos as principais características presentes na elaboração dessas publicações. A análise de conteúdo revelou que o Facebook e o WhatsApp são as redes preferidas para esse tipo de compartilhamento. Cerca de 59% dos conteúdos são totalmente falsos e a maioria dos discursos destaca possíveis riscos das vacinas como estratégias de convencimento. As fontes mais referenciadas são supostamente médicos e cientistas, para criar confiabilidade. O levantamento aponta ainda que 60% das publicações apresentaram erros gramaticais e ortográficos na elaboração dos textos

The impact of fake news reached the health area and distrust in relation to vaccines brought back diseases that had been eradicated. But how are these anti-vaccine discourses constructed in social medias? In this paper, 80 fake news stories focusing on vaccines were collected through Brazilian websites that perform debunking, a strategy for detecting and unmasking misinformation and fake news. From the application of an analytical protocol, the main characteristics present in the elaboration of these publications were mapped. Content analysis revealed that Facebook and WhatsApp are the preferred medias for this type of sharing. About 59% of the contents are totally false and most of the speeches highlight the risks of vaccines as a convincing strategy. The most referenced sources are supposedly doctors and scientists to create re-liability. The survey also points out that 60% of publications have grammatical and spelling errors in the preparation of texts

El impacto de las fake news llegó al área de la salud y la desconfianza en las vacunas trajo de vuelta enfermedades erradicadas. Pero, ¿cómo se construyen los discursos antivacunas en las redes sociales? En este trabajo, se recopilaron 80 noticias falsas centradas en vacunas a través de sitios web brasileños que realizan debunking, una estrategia para detectar y desenmascarar información errónea y noticias falsas. A partir de la aplicación de un protocolo analítico, mapeamos las principales características presentes en la elaboración de estas publicaciones. El análisis de contenido reveló que Facebook y WhatsApp son las redes preferidas para este tipo de intercambio. Alrededor del 59% del contenido es completamente falso y la mayoría destaca los posibles riesgos de las vacunas como estrategias convincentes. Las fuentes más referenciadas son supuestamente médicos y científicos para crear confiabilidad. La encuesta señala que el 60% de las publicaciones tenían errores gramaticales y ortográficos

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O estudo apresentado neste artigo analisou características de notícias falsas e de rumores falsos, que têm como principal diferença a incorporação, ou não, do que caracteriza a imprensa oficial e a grande mídia. A pesquisa avaliou material sobre a pandemia de covid-19 no Brasil, entre janeiro e dezembro de 2020, utilizando o banco de dados do projeto Latam Chequea Coronavirus, que continha 838 mensagens falsas disseminadas em mídias sociais, além de blogs e sites de notícias, e, após submetidas a critérios de corte, 473 delas foram analisadas. A análise utilizou 33 categorias previstas na literatura, divididas em: caracterização, tipo, tema e técnicas de persuasão. Os resultados revelaram que: 86,89% das mensagens eram rumores; os temas mais frequentes foram "profilaxia e cura", "políticas" e "prevenção pública"; o apelo à autoridade esteve presente em 76,74% delas e foi a técnica de persuasão mais frequente, seguida do apelo emocional (64,90%). A pesquisa mostrou como as técnicas de persuasão empregadas apoiam os temas identificados nas mensagens falsas e rumores falsos sobre a pandemia.

The study presented in this article analyzed characteristics of fake news and false rumours, differentiated by the incorporation or absence of features of official press and of the media. The research evaluated mate-rial about the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, between January and December 2020, using the database from the Latam Chequea Coronavirus project, containing 838 false messages disseminated on social media, as well as blogs and newsbrands, and after being subjected to cut-off criteria 473 of them were analysed. The analysis employed 33 categories outlined in the literature, divided among characterization, type, theme, and persuasion techniques. The results revealed that: 86,89% of the messages were rumors; the most frequent themes were "prophylaxis and cure", "politics", and "public prevention"; the appeal to authority was present in 76,74% of the messages and it was the most frequent persuasion technique, followed by emotional appeal (64,90%). The research has demonstrated how persuasion techniques support the themes of fake news and false rumors regarding the pandemic

El estudio presentado en este artículo analizó las características de las noticias falsas y de los rumores falsos, cuya la principal diferencia es si incorporan o no lo que caracteriza a la prensa oficial y a los principales medios de comunicación. La investigación evaluó material sobre la pandemia de covid-19 en Brasil, entre enero y diciembre de 2020, utilizando la base de datos del proyecto Latam Chequea Coronavirus, que contenía 838 mensajes falsos difundidos en redes sociales, además de blogs y sitios de noticias, y después de ser sometidos a criterios de corte se analizaron 473 de ellos. El análisis utilizó 33 categorías previstas en la literatura, divididas en: caracterización, tipo, tema y técnicas de persuasión. Los resultados revelaron que 86,89% de los mensajes eran rumores; los temas más frecuentes fueron "profilaxis y cura", "políticas" y "prevención pública"; la apelación a la autoridad estuvo presente en 76,74% de ellos, y fue la técnica de persuasión más frecuente, seguida de la apelación emocional (64,90). La investigación muestró como las técnicas de persuasión respaldan los temas de noticias falsas y rumores sobre la pandemia

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Fake news can generate memory distortions and influence people's behavior. Within the framework of the great debates, the tendency to generate false memories from fake news seems to be modulated by the ideological alignment of each individual. This effect has been observed mainly around issues involving large sectors of society, but little is known about its impact on smaller-scale discussions focused on more specific populations. In this work we examine the formation of false memories from fake news in the debate between psychological currents in Argentina. For this, 326 individuals aligned to psychoanalysis (PSA) or Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) observed a series of news (12 true and 8 fabricated). The EBP group remembered or believed more fake news that damaged PSA. They also remembered with greater precision the statements of the news that harmed their own school, than those referring to others. These results could be understood as the product of an imbalance in the commitment between the different parties, since the group that proposes the paradigm shift (EBP) exhibited a congruence effect, while the group whose orientation is hegemonic in this field (PSA) did not show any effect of ideological alignment. The fact that the congruence effect is manifested to some extent in settings as relevant as the education of mental health professionals, highlights the need to move towards more careful practices in the consumption and production of media.

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Social media usage is growing globally, with an exponential increase in low- and middle-income countries. Social media changes the ways in which information-sharing occurs, intensifying the population's exposure to misinformation, including fake news. This has important repercussions for global health. The spread of fake news can undermine the implementation of evidence-based interventions and weaken the credibility of scientific expertise. This is particularly worrisome in countries, such as Brazil, in a sociopolitical context characterized by a lack of popular trust in public institutions. In this project report, we describe our experience with the spread of fake news through the social media platform WhatsApp during the implementation of a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing dengue incidence in children in Fortaleza (Brazil). During initial visits to selected clusters, the research team was met with resistance. Then, soon after data collection started, fake news began circulating about the study. As a result, the research team developed strategies to dispel suspicion and further promote the study. However, the climate of violence and mistrust, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, forced the interruption of the study in 2019. The lessons learned from our experience in Fortaleza can be useful to other researchers and practitioners implementing large-scale interventions in this era of health-related misinformation.

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O trabalho constitui relato das autoras, uma jornalista/assessora de comunicação da Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE) e uma professora/pesquisadora da mesma instituição que integra o Grupo de Trabalho (GT) para enfrentamento à pandemia do novo coronavírus no âmbito da Fundação Universidade Estadual do Ceará (FUNECE), a partir da experiência vivenciada durante a pandemia de covid-19. No recorte temporal de 2 de abril de 2020 a 29 de dezembro de 2020, foi possível constatar que fontes acadêmicas da UECE contribuíram com o jornalismo de saúde local, mostrando o potencial dessa universidade no combate às fake news por meio de opiniões e informações críveis fornecidas por seus pesquisadores. Concluiu-se que, para combater o grande fenômeno das fake news, agências de checagem não são suficientes, sendo sugerida uma parceria urgente entre jornalismo e universidade ­ duas grandes forças da informação que têm como um de seus compromissos levar verdade para a sociedade

The work is a report by the authors, a journalist/communications advisor at the Ceará State University (UECE), and a professor/researcher of the institution, member of the Working Group on the combat against the pandemic of the new coronavirus within Ceará State University Foundation (FUNECE), based on the experience during the covid-19 pandemic. During the period that started April 2nd 2020 and finished December 29th 2020, it was possible to attest that academic sources from UECE contributed to local health journalism, showing the university's potential on the combat against fake news through credible opinions and information provided by its researchers. It was concluded that, to face the great phenomenon of fake news, checking agencies are not enough, which suggests an urgent partnership between journalism and the university ­ two great forces of information, which are committed to bringing truth to society

El trabajo constituye relato de las autoras, una periodista/asesora de comunicación de la Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE) y una profesora/investigadora de la misma institución que integra el Grupo de Trabajo (GT) para enfrentamiento a la pandemia del nuevo coronavírus en el ámbito de la Fundação Universidade Estadual do Ceará (FUNECE), desde la experiencia vivida durante la pandemia de covid-19. En el rasgo temporal de 2 de abril de 2020 a 29 de diciembre de 2020, se constató que fuentes académicas de UECE contribuyeron con el periodismo de salud local, destacando el potencial de esta universidad el en combate a las noticias falsas por medio de confiables opiniones e informaciones provenientes de sus investigadores. Se concluyó que, para combatir el gran fenómeno de las noticias falsas, agencias de cheques no son suficientes, por eso la necesidad de haber parcería urgente entre periodismo y universidad ­ dos grandes fuerzas de información que se proponen a llevar verdad a la sociedad

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Introduction: fake news is one of the most frequently discussed subjects in the media, a problem that has become more evident with the rise of social and digital networks assuming the role of main information disseminators. From this perspective, it is important to be connected to a simple, fast communication vehicle that reaches many people. Media may also damage quality of scientific health communication with a negative impact on citizens' lives.Objective: in this context, this article aims to reflect on fake news and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has devastated the world since the beginning of 2020, particularly in Brazil.Methods: countless actions have been taken to contain what the World Health Organization (WHO) calls an "infodemic" that is present in everyday life, invading houses, mobile phones, and computers, in a time of social isolation and working from home. In this scenario, it is up to journalists, communicators, scientists, and health professionals jointly to share important information and to communicate about health and science in a responsible way.Conclusion: in a crisis it becomes essential that information reaches a large number of people and community leaders in order to influence people positively, which might help to save lives

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Weakening environmental laws supported by disinformation are currently of concern in Brazil. An example of disinformation is the case of the "firefighter cattle". Supporters of this idea believe that by consuming organic mass, cattle decrease the risk of fire in natural ecosystems. This statement was cited by a member of the Bolsonaro government in response to the unprecedented 2020 fires in the Pantanal, as well as in support of a new law that enables extensive livestock in protected areas of this biome. By suggesting that grazing benefits the ecosystem, the "firefighter cattle" argument supports the interests of agribusiness. However, it ignores the real costs of livestock production on biodiversity. We analysed the social repercussion of the "firefighter cattle" by analysing public reactions to YouTube, Facebook, and Google News posts. These videos and articles and the responses to them either agreed or disagreed with the "firefighter cattle". Supportive posts were shared more on social media and triggered more interactions than critical posts. Even though many netizens disagreed with the idea of "firefighter cattle", it has gone viral, and was used as a tool to strengthen anti-environmental policies. We advocate that government institutions should use resources and guidelines provided by the scientific community to raise awareness. These materials include international reports produced by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We need to curb pseudoscience and misinformation in political discourse, avoiding misconceptions that threaten natural resources and confuse global society.

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Objetivo: Examinar e mapear as evidências científicas sobre o compartilhamento de desinformações relacionadas a vacinação contra a COVID-19 entre usuários das redes sociais. Metodologia: Scoping Review, baseado nos procedimentos recomendados pelo Instituto Joanna Briggs. Estabeleceu-se a pergunta norteadora: "Qual o comportamento dos usuários de redes sociais quanto ao compartilhamento de informações e desinformações em saúde relacionados à vacinação contra COVID-19?". A coleta dos dados foi realizada em abril de 2023 nas bases de dados PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, Scopus, Web of Science e EMBASE. Foram excluídos textos publicados antes de 2020, protocolos de revisão sistemática ou meta análise e estudos fora do recorte temático. Resultados: Os 9 estudos tiveram delineamento de pesquisas experimentais do tipo análise netnográfica. Quanto a plataforma de disseminação, é possível observar que o Facebook é a mídia social que mais veicula fake news relacionadas à vacinação de COVID-19 seguido do Twitter (33,3%) e Instagram (22,2%). Evidencia-se a forte propensão de engajamento a publicações de cunho antivacina e disseminação de eventos adversos e/ou efeitos colaterais dos imunizantes com ênfase na Pfizer-BioNTech. O perfil dos disseminadores está associado a figuras públicas e jovens de 18 a 44 anos, que também possuem maior propensão de crença na fidedignidade das informações encontradas. Os estudos associam a queda nas taxas de imunização pelo medo dos efeitos colaterais, incluindo hospitalização, miocardites, coágulos sanguíneos e óbito, bem como a desconfiança governamental. Conclusão: o compartilhamento de fake news é um forte fator de hesitação vacinal gerando medo, insegurança e preocupação.

Objective: To examine and map scientific evidence on the sharing of misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccination among social media users. Methodology: Scoping Review, based on procedures recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The guiding question was established: "What is the behavior of users of social networks regarding the sharing of health information and misinformation related to vaccination against COVID-19?". Data collection was carried out in April 2023 in the PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Scopus, Web of Science and EMBASE databases. Texts published before 2020, systematic review or meta-analysis protocols and studies outside the thematic scope were excluded. Results: The 9 studies had the design of experimental researches of the netnographic analysis type. As for the dissemination platform, it is possible to observe that Facebook is the social media that most conveys fake news related to the COVID-19 vaccination followed by Twitter (33.3%) and Instagram (22.2%). There is evidence of a strong tendency to engage with anti-vaccine publications and the dissemination of adverse events and/or side effects of immunizations, with an emphasis on Pfizer-BioNTech. The profile of disseminators is associated with public figures and young people aged 18 to 44, who are also more likely to believe in the reliability of the information found. Studies associate the drop in immunization rates with fear of side effects, including hospitalization, myocarditis, blood clots and death, as well as government distrust. Conclusion: The sharing fake news is a strong factor in vaccine hesitancy, generating fear, insecurity and concern.

Objetivo: Examinar y mapear la evidencia científica sobre el intercambio de información errónea relacionada con la vacunación contra la COVID-19 entre los usuarios de las redes sociales. Metodología: Scoping Review, basado en los procedimientos recomendados por el Instituto Joanna Briggs. Se estableció la pregunta guía "¿Cuál es el comportamiento de los usuarios de las redes sociales con respecto al intercambio de información sanitaria y desinformación relacionada con la vacunación contra la COVID-19?". La recogida de datos se realizó en abril de 2023 en las bases de datos PubMed, Virtual Health Library, Scopus, Web of Science y EMBASE. Se excluyeron textos publicados antes de 2020, protocolos de revisión sistemática o metaanálisis y estudios fuera del ámbito temático. Resultados: Los 9 estudios tenían el diseño de investigaciones experimentales del tipo análisis netnográfico. En cuanto a la plataforma de difusión, se puede observar que Facebook es el medio social que más transmite noticias falsas relacionadas con la vacunación COVID-19 seguido de Twitter (33,3%) e Instagram (22,2%). Se evidencia una fuerte tendencia a las publicaciones antivacunas y a la difusión de eventos adversos y/o efectos secundarios de las vacunas, destacando Pfizer-BioNTech. El perfil de los divulgadores se asocia a personajes públicos y jóvenes de 18 a 44 años, que además son más propensos a creer en la fiabilidad de la información encontrada. Los estudios asocian la caída de las tasas de inmunización con el miedo a los efectos secundarios, incluyendo hospitalización, miocarditis, coágulos de sangre y muerte, así como la desconfianza del gobierno. Conclusiones: El intercambio de noticias falsas es un factor importante en la indecisión sobre las vacunas, ya que genera miedo, inseguridad y preocupación.

RESUMEN

Introdução: A pandemia causada pela Covid19 tornou-se uma das maiores crises mundiais de saúde publica nas ultimas décadas. A falta de conhecimento sobre o diagnostico, tratamento e estratégias de prevenção da doença impactaram diretamente nas taxas morbimortalidade. A corrida científica iniciada para dar suporte e embasamento as condutas dos profissionais e gestores de saúde durante o período abriu espaço para plágios e dados mal validados. O número de informações imprecisas produzidas e veiculadas massivamente através das mídias sociais trouxe outro problema a infodemia. Objetivo: O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar e avaliar o impacto da difusão da Fake News na emergência da pandemia no âmbito social e da saúde. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo analítico, realizado a partir de periódicos científicos indexados na base de dados PubMed/MEDLINE. Resultado\Conclusão: O uso das mídias sociais durante a pandemia aumentou de 20 a 87%, principalmente através das novas mídias digitais e suas plataformas, propiciando o compartilhamento de informações em rede de maneira mais rápida e acessível a todos, servindo como fonte de conhecimento para profissionais de saúde e da população em geral. Entretanto o excesso de conteúdo veiculado gerou uma distorção perceptiva dos fatos, causando um impacto negativo na adoção de medidas de contenção e prevenção, contribuindo ainda mais para resultados desfavoráveis.

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Aragón- Vargas, L.F. (2022). Editorial la búsqueda de la verdad: un punto de encuentro entre ciencia y religión. Pensar en Movimiento: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 20(2), 1-17. Este editorial es una versión mejorada de la conferencia homónima presentada en el marco de la Cátedra de Estudio sobre Religiones, Escuela de Filosofía, Universidad de Costa Rica. Se comenta sobre la importancia de la verdad y se presenta un mensaje sobre el punto de encuentro entre ciencia y religión, en la misma línea de manuscritos y editoriales previos en esta revista sobre filosofía de la ciencia. Además, se insiste en una responsabilidad moral de las personas que nos dedicamos a la ciencia, la investigación y la academia en el contexto universitario: la responsabilidad de contribuir al conocimiento.

Aragón-Vargas, L.F. (2022). The search for truth: Common ground between science and religion Pensar en Movimiento: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 20(2), 1-17. This editorial is an improved version of a lecture with the same name that was presented in the context of the Chair of Religious Studies, School of Philosophy, Universidad de Costa Rica. The importance of truth is highlighted, and a message is presented on the common ground shared by science and religion, along the same lines of previous articles and editorials published in this review on the philosophy of science. Furthermore, the editorial insists on the moral responsibility of those of us that are devoted to science, research and academia in a university milieu—the responsibility to contribute to knowledge.

Aragón-Vargas, L.F. (2022). À procura da verdade: um ponto de encontro entre ciência e religião. Pensar en Movimiento: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 20(2), 1-17. Este editorial é uma versão melhorada da conferência homônima apresentada no cenário da Cátedra de Estudo sobre Religiões, Escola de Filosofia, Universidade da Costa Rica. Comenta-se sobre a importância da verdade e apresenta-se uma mensagem sobre o ponto de encontro entre ciência e religião, na mesma linha de manuscritos e editoriais prévios nesta revista sobre filosofia da ciência. Adicionalmente, enfatiza-se sobre uma responsabilidade moral das pessoas que nos dedicamos à ciência, à pesquisa e à faculdade no contexto universitário: a responsabilidade de contribuir para o conhecimento.

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Fake news detection continues to be a major problem that affects our society today. Fake news can be classified using a variety of methods. Predicting and detecting fake news has proven to be challenging even for machine learning algorithms. This research employs Legitimacy, a unique ensemble machine learning model to accomplish the task of Credibility-Based Fake News Detection. The Legitimacy ensemble combines the learning potential of a Two-Class Boosted Decision Tree and a Two-Class Neural Network. The ensemble technique follows a pseudo-mixture-of-experts methodology. For the gating model, an instance of Two-Class Logistic Regression is implemented. This study validates Legitimacy using a standard dataset with features relating to the credibility of news publishers to predict fake news. These features are analysed using the ensemble algorithm. The results of these experiments are examined using four evaluation methodologies. The analysis of the results reveals positive performance with the use of the ensemble ML method with an accuracy of 96.9%. This ensemble's performance is compared with the performance of the two base machine learning models of the ensemble. The performance of the ensemble surpasses that of the two base models. The performance of Legitimacy is also analysed as the size of the dataset increases to demonstrate its scalability. Hence, based on our selected dataset, the Legitimacy ensemble model has proven to be most appropriate for Credibility-Based Fake News Detection.

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In the post-truth era, one challenge facing science education is the circulation of fake news that distorts the information available for decision-making on issues that have a scientific basis and are controversial for society. In this work, we aimed at designing a learning environment with the objective of equipping students with skills that allow them to deal with socio-scientific issues (SSI) in an infodemic context. To this end, we proposed an educational innovation through design-based research, which was oriented to the treatment of information disseminated in the media and social networks related to COVID-19. We divided this information into four major constructs: virus and disease dynamics; pandemic and environmental crisis; hygiene and protocols; and vaccines, potential solutions, and pharmaceutical industry. On the basis of the activities of the didactic sequence, which included class discussion, interviews with the immediate environment, audiovisual productions, and a final plenary, we identified criteria that students applied to trust or not trust the circulating information and a series of strategies to corroborate the information. In addition, framing COVID-19 as an SSI allowed the discussion of curricular content in science and on sociocultural dimensions that cross the pandemic. Based on the implementation of the teaching-learning sequence, we conclude that the proposed activities favored reflection on critical thinking and awareness of the responsibilities they have as potential disseminators and/or generators of information.

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Here, an epidemiological model considering pro and anti-vaccination groups is proposed and analyzed. In this model, susceptible individuals can migrate between these two groups due to the influence of false and true news about safety and efficacy of vaccines. From this model, written as a set of three ordinary differential equations, analytical expressions for the disease-free steady state, the endemic steady state, and the basic reproduction number are derived. It is analytically shown that low vaccination rate and no influx to the pro-vaccination group have similar impacts on the long-term amount of infected individuals. Numerical simulations are performed with parameter values of the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate the analytical results. The possible relevance of this work is discussed from a public health perspective.

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