Boston, 5 October 2022 – The Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research at Boston University hosted United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Ms. Melissa Fleming, for a keynote conversation on 30 September focused on the evolving role of mis- and disinformation in the context of public health communications.
In her speech, Ms. Fleming explored the challenges and effects of mis- and disinformation. She highlighted the importance of social media as one of the primary means for people to access information globally. She emphasized that the United Nations is combating mis- and disinformation in three areas in particular: COVID-19, conflict, and climate change. “Trust is being eroded,” Fleming said, and the United Nations is working to address this challenge.
To confront the problem in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations, together with the communications agency Purpose, launched an initiative to cut through the noise and make sure accurate, fact-based information about COVID-19 reached audiences early and often.
The United Nations Department of Global Communications continues its efforts to confront the spread of harmful content online, and to engage academics, students, and youth on this critical issue. In support of this effort, the United Nations Information Center in Washington, D.C., conducts outreach to youth and academic institutions around the United States, including Under-Secretary-General Ms. Fleming’s engagement in Boston. In 2022 alone, the UN Information Center has organized 22 student engagements, in collaboration with learning institutions, reaching upwards of 1,000 learners.
