Alex Trelinski
VALENCIA’S health region has opened up new social media accounts to fight ‘fake news’.
It wants to increase the number of people that access important health information as well as combatting false postings that some readers believe are truthful.
Health Minister, Ana Barcelo, said: “Social networks are the only source of information that some audiences read and we are going to take advantage of them to reach them.”
“Another objective is to disseminate truthful information that counteracts potential fake news, “ Barcelo added.
New Facebook and Instagram profiles have been started up by Valencia’s Universal and Public Health department, in addition to their current YouTube and Twitter feeds.
Postings will be made of general health news as well as key announcements.
Ana Barcelo said: “We have seen the proliferation of fake news during the pandemic and it is crucial to counteract what is being said.”
“People need to be able to inform themselves in official and reliable sources, and by being on Facebook and Instagram we serve that need in both the adult and young population.”
Information, especially on Instagram, will be presented in a ‘non-formal’ way but always maintaining accuracy.
Valencian authorities say that followers on existing accounts have increased dramatically during the pandemic.
The health department’s Twitter account has over 85,600 followers with nearly 800 new users joining in the last month.
Image Credit: Valencian Government
Government fighting fake news?! Excellent! I look forward to the Spanish authorities re-evaluating their covid death numbers the same as the Italian government recently did. The Italian’s admitted that they had over-counted covid deaths (died FROM covid) by 97.1%… from 130,468 deaths to 3783 deaths. All of the 97.1% (yes, all) had between one and five pre-existing diseases. Has the Spanish government been over-counting too in an attempt to induce panic among the citizens to test just how far people are willing to ‘bend the knee’ to the powers that be? We need to know. If only there were still some journalist with the guts to ask questions and publish the truth….