Responding to COVID-19 information pollution

This note is intended to provide practical guidance to UNDP Country Offices on how to design effective rapid responses to information pollution and how to situate those in longer-term approaches.  As such it provides both immediately practicable intervention approaches as well as longer-term programmatic considerations.  Specifically, the note aims to provide:

1. Key definitions and common terminology (pp. 3-4);
2. Options for immediate to short-term initiatives to counter Information pollution (pp. 5-9);
3. Guidance for long-term strategies (p. 10);
4. Policy recommendations (p. 11);
5. Useful resources and resource hubs (p.12).

In terms of policy recommendations, this note suggests:

• Protect the right of access to information for all citizens and communicate rapidly and openly with the public;
• Ensure any information-related legislation is reasonable, proportionate and timebound;
• Ensure responses are consistent with international standards on freedom of expression;
• Promote media and digital literacy at all levels of society;
• Maintain constructive dialogue with media, civil society and other stakeholders.