As Western North Carolina recovers from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, misinformation and disinformation continue to spread through social media. The rumors and lies spread have created mistrust hindering effective relief efforts.
“These rumors – or whatever they are – are usually presented as factual information when it is not actually based in fact. What we see now with social media and the internet is that these sources kind of look like reputable news organizations, but they’re not necessarily fact-checked,” said Todd Collins, WCU professor of political science.
Social media algorithms often don’t present content that challenges a user’s views or beliefs, effectively creating an echo chamber. This can lead people to believe and share posts from questionable sources, sometimes spreading false information.
“We have a tendency to kind of believe those things that support the narrative we already want to be true,” Collins said.
In the early days after Helene, many affected areas were without cell service and Wi-Fi. Most information communicated about relief efforts was spread by those outside of the area.
The outsider narrative created some distrust in government aid. Quinn Manning, a WCU student and former AmeriCorps volunteer, explained in an interview with WWCU that misinformation being spread caused some to become hostile toward FEMA and the National Guard in Asheville.
Dr. Peter Nieckarz, a sociology professor at WCU, says the emotional nature of the storm led to an increased spread of false information.
“People were disoriented, experiencing a sense of fear; And coupled with that people were frustrated with what was seemingly a lack of relief and lifesaving responses,” Nieckarz said.
Nieckarz explains that the fear, disorientation and frustration people are experiencing can cause hysteria and lead them to disrupt relief efforts.
“If they’re getting in the way of emergency relief vehicles or perhaps, they’re trying to drive down an unsafe road, it can create a situation where they themselves need to be helped or rescued,” Nieckarz said.
Nieckarz and Collins say there are multiple ways to debunk misinformation seen on social media.
“People need to practice what’s known as critical media literacy to be able to understand what probably is real and what isn’t. That means while you’re online, evaluate your sources to look and see if they have a bias or a standpoint or an agenda.” Nieckarz said.
Collins advises when on social media to look at catchphrases like “Finally revealed” or “The story they didn’t want you to hear” in the headlines of stories. He also says to look for misspellings and “gotcha” language.
“To make sure that we are finding the best information, we look at different sources,” Collins said.
When in a crisis like Helene, it’s best to check local government outlets for reliable information.
