Updated:  May 31, 2020


A resource by Jayne Cravens
  via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

 
Examples of Folklore, Rumors (or Rumours), Urban Myths

& Organized Misinformation Campaigns

Interfering with Development & Aid/Relief Efforts & Elections

 
 
This is a list - a sampling - of examples on how folklore, rumors (or rumours) and urban myths / urban legends have interfered with relief and development activities, public health initiatives, etc., whether these activities are by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), nonprofits, government agencies, international bodies like the United Nations, etc. This isn't a problem limited to developing countries.

This is not a comprehensive list. That would be IMPOSSIBLE to compile. I'm not trying to find every example - just ones that illustrate the problem of misinformation / fake news and the consequences of such. I've been compiling these resources since the late 1990s (I started trying to research how women's health initiatives countered misinformation about abortion and birth control). 

And let me remind you: NONE OF THESE RUMORS ARE TRUE. All of the claims made about diseases or organ-stealing or child kidnappers, killer tweets, etc., are FALSE. If you present a similar list, you will need to emphasize that these are not true, even if your workshop is called "examples of misinformation interfering with development, aid and relief efforts and elections." You can read how these rumors are addressed here.

Examples of myths interfering with development & AID/relief efforts, elections or society in general:

(if a URL no longer works, try searching for the title on Google, or look at the source code for this page and cut and paste the desired URL into Archive.org)

(if a URL no longer works, try searching for the title on Google, or look at the source code for this page and cut and paste the desired URL into Archive.org)

I blog about examples as well:

And I have my own story: I believed misinformation about vaccines at one point in my life. I share this to show that we're all capable of believing something that isn't true, that I'm not being judgemental about people's intelligence or capabilities when it comes to talking about misinformation.

I'm not interested in just urban legends but, specifically misinformation that interferes with relief or development efforts, or government initiatives. And most especially, I'm interested in ways that such misinformation has been countered successfully. If you have related information or examples, please contact me.

Please see these recommendations on Preventing Folklore, Rumors (or Rumours) and Urban Myths From Interfering with Development and Aid/Relief Efforts, and Government Initiatives.

What I'm also wondering: are their any efforts in developing and transitional countries similar to the myth-busting Straight Dope column by Cecil Adams in the USA? Or truthorfiction.com? Or hoax-slayer.com? Or MythBusters? If you know of such, please contact me.

 
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