Establishing legitimacy through the media and combating fake news on COVID-19: a case study of Taiwan

Abstract

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Taiwanese government has been able to retain legitimacy through prompt action and the use of multimedia to inform the public of prevention measures, quarantine rules, rationing of masks, and to build trust. First, the measures enacted by the Taiwanese government and its use of the media to address the impact of the pandemic were evaluated. Second, the study analyzed the communication strategies of the Taiwanese government to advise the public. The study also examined how an element of humor was also used to strengthen trust in the government and appeal to the citizens’ solidarity and responsibility in the information campaign against misinformation regarding COVID-19. Subsequently, fake news, misinformation, and disinformation regarding COVID-19 in Taiwan were examined in terms of source, themes, evidence, and format. Much of the disinformation was traced to Chinese propaganda. The study analyzed the role of fact-checking organizations, which played a crucial role in building trust and establishing social consensus between scientists and the general public.

Keywords:

• legitimacy
• fact checking
• fake news
• misinformation
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yi-Chieh Jessica Lin

Yi-Chieh Jessica Lin is Associate Professor of the Department of Journalism in the College of Communication at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. Over the past decade, her research has been concerned with the politics of lifestyle, sustainability, and consumption. Her current research focuses on understanding the components of effective health communication strategies in order to promote sustainable preventive measures and curtail widespread misinformation.