The Impact of COVID-19 Fake Information and News on the Credibility of New Media

Kiew, Shiau Len (2022) The Impact of COVID-19 Fake Information and News on the Credibility of New Media. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

As new media is more convenient, it has gradually replaced traditional media as a source of information for young people. However, it may result in information overload and inaccurate information disseminated because people prefer getting the latest news in a short period of time, so they will disregard the credibility of the information especially during Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first time Malaysians have experienced this pandemic and lockdown, so they will panic and share whatever information they got to others without determining the veracity. Survey quantitative research method has been applied in this research to find out the impact of fake information and news on the credibility of new media. This study showed that the Malaysian youngsters would prefer to wait for government announcements on the updated Covid-19 information rather than trusting any online information from unknown sources. Besides, they will also check the credibility of Covid-19 news and information before they share it to others. Facebook and online news portals are the most used media among youngsters to get Covid-19 information for social interaction and surveillance