3.2 COVID-19 AND THE INFODEMIC IN THE ARAB WORLD It is common during disasters, epidemics, and conflicts for rumors to spread faster than usual (Atif, Mahdy, and Moustafa 2020, 4). After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, this occurred to such an extent that the WHO coined the term “infodemic” to refer to fake news associated with the novel coronavirus (WHO n.d.). Researchers in the region have explored many dimensions of the infodemic. They have monitored the spread of fake news on social media in different Arab states, analyzed the nature of the fake news, inquired as to the causes of the rapid distribution of fake news, explored the influence of fake news, and accentuated the efforts that are being made to combat information disorder. Salama (2020) investigated the origins of the infodemic and concluded that it springs mainly from social media. The reasons for this is that users of these media do not comply with any code of ethics and there is no one to adopt the role of gatekeeper, which in the case of traditional media is played by professionals who filter information before it is published as news (Salama 2020, 167). Salama conducted a survey in Egypt which showed that Instagram is the most popular social media platform, with 30.6 percent of the surveyed individuals relying on it as a source of information. WhatsApp and Facebook come second and third, with 17.4 percent and 15.3 percent respectively. Of the social media users surveyed, 26.8 percent are regularly exposed to fake news. The study showed that social media users depend on social media as a source of news about Covid-19 in an attempt to understand the nature of this new virus (Salama 2020, 162). Another survey, conducted among students in Palestine, found that more than 80 percent of participants resort to Facebook as a source of news about Covid-19 (Radwan, Radwan, and Radwan 2020, 7). Researchers have also shed light on the shortcomings of the coverage of the pandemic by traditional media. Journalists found themselves faced with a mysterious pandemic, with little information about its source, nature, and dangers. Social distancing also complicated media coverage, and as a result traditional media could not provide viewers and readers with convincing news reports about this multidimensional topic (Al Qasamy 2021, 22–23). I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH The flood of inaccurate information on social media distorted public opinion, stirred up fears, and led to instability. Social media users circulated claims about the effectiveness of unproven alternative medicines in treating or preventing Covid-19 (Al Qasamy 2021, 20, 22). For instance, claims were spread in Tunisia that garlic was able to prevent Covid-19 infection, with the result that the price of garlic increased (Zamit, Kooli, and Toumi 2020, 2). Some Facebook posts that drew on conspiracy theories regarded Covid-19 as a political tactic serving the interests of a certain country, which had invented it to harm others (Mohammedi 2020, 35). In Morocco, audiences were confused by a post, published and shared on May 28, 2020, claiming that twenty-two new cases had been detected in Tangier and the Tetouan region; the official statement of that day had made no mention of these cases (Maakoul et al. 2021, 4). In Palestine, about 76.4 percent of students who participated in a survey agreed that news published on social media about Covid-19 inspired fear. About 59 percent of the Palestinian students surveyed found that fake news posted on social media and the numbers of infected persons caused panic (Radwan, Radwan, and Radwan 2020, 6). Researchers have classified efforts to confront information disorder as official and unofficial efforts. In line with the WHO’s warning that fake news is no less dangerous than the virus (WHO n.d.), governments in the Arab world have made great efforts to counter fake news. In Jordan, the spokesperson of the state expressed the government’s concern about Governments in the Arab world the growing threat of fake have made great efforts to news during the pandemic. counter fake news. In Jordan, He then appeared on official television to present relithe spokesperson of the state able updates about Covid-19 expressed the government’s in the country and to raise concern about the growing threat awareness about fake news of fake news during the pandemic. (Al Jalabneh and Safori 2020, 9443). The minister of health also asserted that unscientific information had been distributed on social media, urging people to disregard the new virus and describing it as simply bacteria (Al Jalabneh and Safori 2020, 9437). In Palestine, the Ministry of Health created a website, which it updated on a regular basis with news about the pandemic, to constrain the spread of fake news (Radwan, Radwan, and Radwan 2020, 2). Although the pandemic presented an opportunity for conventional media to take on a social responsibility role by expanding its services to fact Middle East and North Africa – 6 6