"Disinformation and COVID-19: How State and Local Officials Can Respond
State and local officials play a critical role in countering the abundance of false COVID-19 information that is spreading through public information channels. This toolkit is intended to be used by state, local, tribal and territorial officials. COVID-19 is and will continue to be a threat to public health. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic disinformation, much of it produced and amplified by foreign actors, has consisted of false treatment and prevention measures, unsubstantiated rumors regarding the origin of the virus, and more. As such, it is imperative that State and local officials continually convey timely, trusted, and verified COVID-19 details and developments to their constituents to avert a vacuum of credible information, which can be exploited for misuse as disinformation by bad actors...
In a February report by the World Health Organization (WHO) report, officials included the term 'infodemic' to describe the 'overabundance' of information and false information that has arisen in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic...
Core Messaging
See below for messaging that can be used in all public communications, including social media...
Agents of disinformation are known to create or repurpose emotional videos and photos, and to use sensational terms to divide us. Be especially careful of content that attempts to make people angry or sad or create division...
Talking Points: Disinformation Stops With You
- For COVID-19 facts and stay-at-home guidance, rely on state and local health official websites, as well as the CDC (www.cdc.gov) and FEMA’s rumor control webpage at fema.gov/coronavirus/rumor-control.
- ... Malinformation is based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate...
Stopping COVID-19 Disinformation
What are the best sources for accurate and reliable COVID-19 information?
Your home state health department; your county-level department of public health; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); FEMA’s rumor control page; and the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO)...
Who are the primary malign actors associated with the spreading of COVID-related disinformation?
Russian, Chinese and Iranian state-sponsored elements, as well as domestic extremist groups.
What are these malign actors trying to accomplish by spreading disinformation?
Their goal is creating chaos, confusion and division. They also want to degrade confidence in U.S. institutions, which in turn undermines our ability to respond effectively to the pandemic.
Who else is spreading disinformation?
Scammers, cyber criminals and con artists are also taking advantage of fears surrounding COVID-19. They promote questionable awareness and prevention tips...
What can our state and local officials tell their constituents about stopping disinformation?
Core messaging should emphasize that 'we’re all in this together' and that 'disinformation stops with you.' Basic tips to include are:
- Be on the lookout for content that seems manipulative or overly emotional."
This bulletin is a work of the United States government. Such works are not entitled to domestic copyright protection under U.S. law and are therefore in the public domain.