Voice and Inequality in the Spread of COVID-19 Information and Misinformation

• In Event: Relevance, Quality, and Expedience: Political Science Responds to COVID-19: COVID-19 and Political Behavior: Public Opinion and Political Participation

Abstract

As both high-quality expert information and life-threatening misinformation compete to reach online audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the promises and risks of social media communication networks have become only more acute. While it is important to map which specific news media, expert opinions, politically-divisive hoaxes, and everyday posts spread through social media, it is equally important to understand who amplifies that content and the inequities in attention that are given to different voices. Historically and currently, marginalized voices continue to be discounted or excluded from mainstream discourse. On social media, not all voices are given equal weight, and failing to consider whose voice is being amplified during the pandemic risks endangering the civic integrity of online platforms and exacerbating the disparities in offline health outcomes. Understanding inequities of COVID-19 attention and amplification is the first step towards equitably promoting voices in the rapidly changing conversations of the pandemic.

Using a panel of Twitter accounts linked to public voter registration records in the United States, we study demographic differences in who shares information related to COVID-19 and whose messages on this topic are amplified. Examining dimensions of race, gender, age, and political affiliation, we assess both raw dissemination of COVID-19 content as well as the degree to which these users receive engagement and attention from others. We further study the network effects underlying this amplification -- examining the influence of homophily within the network as well as the degree to which the popularity of specific content can be explained by the popularity of its author. Through content analysis and curated lists of sites disseminating COVID-19 misinformation, we also examine the interplay between demographic characteristics, voice, and the quality of content being shared. Preliminary findings suggest attention is focused on a small fraction of users, and that white men receive relatively more attention than their peers. Furthermore, older and younger users appear to engage with information on social media in notably different ways.

Authors

• Sarah Shugars, New York University

• David Lazer, Northeastern University

• Ryan J Gallagher, Northeastern University

• Brooke Foucault Welles, Northeastern University