Misinformation Warriors: Leveraging Staff to Combat Inaccurate Information in an Australian Health Organisation
摘要
Health communication on social media is a double-edged sword. Although these platforms speed up the sharing of vital information, they also amplify the spread of health misinformation, presenting a significant challenge for health organisations. Misinformation proliferates on social media, often spreading more widely than the truth, increasing the potential harm to individuals and organisations. While social media administrators in health organisations monitor and remove misinformation, staff members in broader roles also have the potential to combat misinformation through the diverse functions they perform on social media. This paper forms part of a larger doctoral study focused on adopting and utilising social media within a major Australian health organisation. Using a grounded theory approach, social media administrators from Queensland Health were interviewed to understand their perspective on the roles that staff play in combatting misinformation. A total of nineteen interviews were conducted across the state of Queensland. The findings highlight that staff have the potential to combat misinformation on social media through their engagement on social media. The study’s practical implications suggest that health organisations should implement social media strategies that empower staff to manage the spread of misinformation, leveraging their roles both in a professional and personal capacity.