Handling false information in emergency management

A cross-national comparative study of European practices

Bibliographic Data

ID22028811
AuthorsSten Torpan (0000-0003-2052-092X, University of Tartu, corresponding author), Sten Hansson (0000-0002-1748-1969, University of Tartu), Mark Rhinard (0000-0002-1903-4257, Stockholm University), Austeja Kazemekaityte (0000-0001-9036-418X, University of Trento), Pirjo Jukarainen (0000-0001-7463-2754, Police University College), Sunniva Frislid Meyer (0000-0002-8100-2416, Institute of Transport Economics), Abriel Schieffelers, Gabriella Lovász (0000-0003-3689-7289, Geonardo (Hungary)), Kati Orru (0000-0003-0616-9870, University of Tartu)
Year2021
Volume57
Pages102151
Publication date2021-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2212-4209
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102151
OpenAlexW3135318017
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited53

During emergencies, exposure to false information can increase individual vulnerability. More research is needed on how emergency management institutions understand the effects of false information and what are the various approaches to handling it. Our document analysis and 95 expert interviews in eight European countries – Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Norway, Finland, and Estonia – show that approaches vary considerably: some have instituted central management of identifying and tackling false information while others prioritise the spreading of accurate information. A review of national practices and an analysis of recent crisis cases show that both approaches may be necessary. The diffusion of false information is strongly affected by the lack of timely and verifiable information from governments. We also find that in several countries, the emergence of false information is often associated with malicious foreign influence activities. Our study contributes to a better understanding of how the effects of false information are mitigated by the emergency management systems in Europe

Business · Computer security · Crisis management · Emergency management · Information management · Information system · Knowledge management · Political science · Computer Science · Disaster Management and Resilience · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Risk Perception and Management