A Crisis of Disinformation

The COVID-19 crisis has created an urgent need to help counter a surge in misinformation and attempts to exploit the pandemic through disinformation. Jennifer Kavanagh and Todd Helmus discuss the pandemic’s effect on public trust in important sources of information and institutions that provide information. They describe how RAND is working to not only combat disinformation and misinformation during the COVID-19 crisis, but also to counter Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life.

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COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from RAND
RAND research and expertise can inform immediate policy responses to address the disastrous effects of COVID-19—and help aid in recovery long after the disease stops spreading.
Apr 10, 2020
What Americans Think of the News—and What That Means for Democracy
RAND researchers asked a nationally representative sample of adults about their news-consumption habits. The answers reveal clues about what it might take to address Truth Decay—the decline of facts in U.S. public life.
Apr 28, 2020
The Economic Wallop of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts
As Washington continues to weigh economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, here are insights from RAND experts on how aid money might be best allocated, how this crisis compares to the 2008 recession, what business communities can do right now, and more.
Mar 26, 2020
Truth Decay in the Coronavirus Moment: Q&A with Jennifer Kavanagh
Jennifer Kavanagh, who wrote the RAND book Truth Decay about the diminishing role that facts play in making important public policy decisions, calls the unfolding situation with the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 a worst-case scenario.
Mar 17, 2020
What's Being Done to Fight Disinformation Online
With the rise of the internet and social media, false or intentionally misleading information can spread further and faster than ever before. What tools exist to fight disinformation online?
Nov 12, 2019