Misinformation Inoculation and Literacy Support Tweetorials on COVID-19. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Graham, S. Scott
• Other Names: Frith Jordan guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of business and technical communication. Volume 35:Number 1(2021)
• Page Start: 7
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: coronavirus -- public health -- science communication -- social media; Business communication -- Periodicals; Communication of technical information -- Periodicals; 658.45
• DOI: 10.1177/1050651920958505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-6519

Abstract

Many expected federal public health agencies to provide timely and accurate information about the COVID-19 pandemic. That did not happen. In response, physicians and epidemiologists have explored new ways to educate the public about COVID-19 and protect against misinformation. One genre that has received significant uptake is the tweetorial, threaded tweets that educate followers on technical matters. This article builds on prior genre studies of the tweetorial to explore how #MedTwitter and #EpiTwitter communities have refashioned the emerging conventions of the tweetorial as part of efforts to protect the public from COVID-19 misinformation.