AI Article Synopsis
- The 2014-15 Ebola epidemic in Liberia was marked by significant public misunderstanding and the spread of rumors about the virus.
- A tracker system using SMS text messaging, called 'DeySay', was established to quickly identify and manage these rumors.
- The study analyzed the circulation of rumors in print and radio media, revealing that while newspapers had more rumors, radio was more direct in labeling them as such; DeySay proved effective in predicting rumors before they reached mainstream media.
Article Abstract
The severity of the 2014-15 West African Ebola epidemic in Liberia was coupled with widespread misunderstanding of the virus among citizens and the proliferation of rumours. Rumour control during outbreaks is imperative to reduce the public's fears about a disease. In Liberia, a tracker system was developed to detect rumours as quickly as possible through SMS (short message service) text messaging. This study focused on assessing rumour circulation in newspapers and on radio and rumour control over time. It relied on a content analysis of SMS messages from the 'DeySay' tracker, print and audio communications of newspapers, and radio programmes, in the time frame between January 2014 and March 2015. The findings show that more rumours appeared in newspapers but were more likely to be overtly characterised as such on the radio. DeySay accurately predicted rumours before they appeared on the radio and in newspapers, supporting its usefulness in future health epidemics.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/disa.12552 | DOI Listing |
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