Effect of Fake News on Government Action in Combating COVID-19

The Case of Bhutan

Abstract

This research focuses on the spread of fake news about COVID-19 in Bhutan with a particular emphasis on how fake news has impacted the government’s response to the pandemic. The growth of misinformation on social media has made the government play a strategic role by using its official social media pages as a legitimate source of information during the pandemic. The study found that fake news affected the government’s actions both positively and negatively. While time and resources were diverted from the pandemic response into addressing the issues posed by fake news, the same issue enabled the government to collaborate with various stakeholders whilst gaining the people’s trust.