Unreliable information undermined the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. A rise in false information created the perfect storm for cybercrime and the spread of harmful falsehoods. Misinformation and disinformation during the health emergency hampered the public health response, creating confusion and distrust. To combat crises like this in the future, it’s essential to distinguish and categorize false information and understand the key terms in the fight against it.

Director, producer: Jono Namara, Shelby Wilder
Camera operator: Toby Llyod
Supported by a grant from Investigative Journalism for Europe, published with The Canary