Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an overload of scientific information in the media, sometimes including misinformation or the dissemination of false content. This so-called infodemic, at a low intensity level, is also manifested in the spread of scientific and medical ill...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01037-3 |
| _version_ | 1819260870701613056 |
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| author | Celia Andreu-Sánchez Miguel Ángel Martín-Pascual |
| author_facet | Celia Andreu-Sánchez Miguel Ángel Martín-Pascual |
| author_sort | Celia Andreu-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an overload of scientific information in the media, sometimes including misinformation or the dissemination of false content. This so-called infodemic, at a low intensity level, is also manifested in the spread of scientific and medical illustrations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the beginning of the pandemic, images of other long-known viruses, sometimes imaginary reconstructions, or viruses that cause diseases in other, non-human species have been attributed to SARS-CoV-2. In a certain way, one can thus speak of a case of an imagedemic based on an alteration of the rigour and truth of informative illustrations in the media. Images that illustrate informative data have an influence on the emotional perception of viewers and the formation of attitudes and behaviours in the face of the current or future pandemics. So, image disinformation should be avoided, making it desirable that journalists confirm the validity of scientific images with the same rigour that they apply to any other type of image, instead of working with fake, made-up images from photo stock services. At a time when scientific illustration has great didactic power, high-quality information must be illustrated using images that are as accurate and real as possible, as for any other news topic. It is fundamental that informative illustrations about COVID-19 used in the media are scientifically rigorous. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:32:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c30edcd64494419e91efe776ce18bf7a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:32:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-c30edcd64494419e91efe776ce18bf7a2022-12-21T17:33:51ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922022-01-01911610.1057/s41599-022-01037-3Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screensCelia Andreu-Sánchez0Miguel Ángel Martín-Pascual1Neuro-Com Research Group, Audiovisual Communication and Advertising Department, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaNeuro-Com Research Group, Audiovisual Communication and Advertising Department, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an overload of scientific information in the media, sometimes including misinformation or the dissemination of false content. This so-called infodemic, at a low intensity level, is also manifested in the spread of scientific and medical illustrations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the beginning of the pandemic, images of other long-known viruses, sometimes imaginary reconstructions, or viruses that cause diseases in other, non-human species have been attributed to SARS-CoV-2. In a certain way, one can thus speak of a case of an imagedemic based on an alteration of the rigour and truth of informative illustrations in the media. Images that illustrate informative data have an influence on the emotional perception of viewers and the formation of attitudes and behaviours in the face of the current or future pandemics. So, image disinformation should be avoided, making it desirable that journalists confirm the validity of scientific images with the same rigour that they apply to any other type of image, instead of working with fake, made-up images from photo stock services. At a time when scientific illustration has great didactic power, high-quality information must be illustrated using images that are as accurate and real as possible, as for any other news topic. It is fundamental that informative illustrations about COVID-19 used in the media are scientifically rigorous.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01037-3 |
| spellingShingle | Celia Andreu-Sánchez Miguel Ángel Martín-Pascual Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens |
| title_full | Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens |
| title_fullStr | Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens |
| title_short | Scientific illustrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the media: An imagedemic on screens |
| title_sort | scientific illustrations of sars cov 2 in the media an imagedemic on screens |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01037-3 |
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