A University of Portsmouth expert who was wrongly attributed to a fake news article on vaccine risks is hoping his experience will help others challenge misinformation
A University of Portsmouth academic who had a fake news article on vaccine risks wrongly attributed to him will share his experience to help combat misinformation.
Last month, a screenshot of a purported article circulated online asking why the “unvaccinated did not do more to warn” people who received a COVID-19 jab.
Figure 1 screenshot of the fake news story
While the headline, text and publication date was fabricated, the illustration and writer’s name were copied from a real story published in The Conversation titled: “COVID: unvaccinated people may be seen as ‘free riders’ and face discrimination”. It discussed the discrimination and attitudes toward unvaccinated people in various countries.
The author, Dr Alessandro Siani, Associate Head (Students) in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, then became the victim of harassment and threats by people who did not realise that the viral screenshot was a fabrication.
In a statement posted on his LinkedIn profile, Dr Siani confirmed that the viral screenshot bearing his name and photo was a forgery, and said: “As a scientist, I firmly believe that vaccinations (including those against COVID-19) are an essential preventive measure, and that their effectiveness in preventing transmissible diseases largely outweighs any rare unwanted effects associated with their use.”
The fake news story was also quickly fact-checked and debunked by media agencies around the world, including Reuters, AFP and USA Today.
I hope that by sharing my own experience I can help others identify and challenge misinformation.
Dr Siani added: “Fake news stories are not a new thing, especially when it comes to science and health.
“But with the rise of the internet and social media it has become increasingly more difficult to stem the flow of these false stories before they reach thousands, and in some cases millions of people.
“I hope that by sharing my own experience I can help others identify and challenge misinformation.”
In his previous research, Dr Siani investigated vaccine confidence and uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggested that scientific misinformation could be tackled by fostering critical thinking skills in school curricula. His most recent study, published in the journal Vaccines, found that both scientific misinformation and trust in preventive measures were significantly associated with a person’s educational levels.
He explained: "Despite its limitations, this study furthers our understanding of the links between scientific misinformation and reluctance to comply with infection-prevention measures.
“It is unlikely that COVID-19 will be the last pandemic we'll experience in our lifetimes, so it is important to learn as much as we can from our past experiences to improve our global responses to future challenges."
Dr Siani has been invited to talk at the Royal Society as part of a free public event exploring scientific fakes, forgeries and misinformation next week (2 March). He will join a panel of experts, including Professor Frank Kelly from Imperial College London and Dr Bnar Talabani from Cardiff University.
Their discussion, titled: ‘Challenging misinformation’, will explore the challenge of misinformation in the online age and how to tackle it. It will be hosted by journalist Julie Gould and begin at 7.30pm.
The event in London will also showcase remarkable scientific stories and artefacts housed in the Royal Society’s extensive, world-class archives. Attendees will be able to get up close and personal with AI-generated art and speak to experts on cryptocurrencies, false memories and faking it in the natural world.
More information can be found online here.