[Lee Jong-gil's Autumn Return] Fake News, the Sophisticated Political Calculation Hidden Behind It

Choi Eun-chang 'Archaeology of Fake News'

In 2018, the United Kingdom lost its status as a measles elimination country. That year, there were about 900 cases of measles infections. Parents avoided vaccinating their children against measles due to rumors about vaccine side effects.

A 1998 paper in the medical journal The Lancet provided the pretext. Gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield discovered that children with autism were more prone to gastrointestinal diseases. He researched the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and autism. He then wrote a paper based on statistics from the US and UK showing an increase in autism following vaccinations.

Vaccines contain the preservative thimerosal, which prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi. Wakefield claimed that this mercury compound interfered with the normal formation of children's neural tissue.

After reports about the risks of vaccines, the vaccination rate in the UK dropped to 61%. However, Wakefield had colluded with individuals who had sued vaccine manufacturers. Even his researchers were parties to lawsuits. Moreover, the blood samples used in his research were obtained from friends of his ten-year-old son, who were paid 5 pounds each.

Wakefield's violations of research ethics were fully revealed during an investigation by UK authorities. Wakefield admitted the facts at a hearing. Subsequently, his medical license was revoked.

In "The Archaeology of Fake News," written by Choi Eun-chang, there is concern that fake news can devastate the public sphere and threaten democracy. Fake news has long been used as a propaganda tool to gain public support. Now, with various media outlets and social networking services (SNS) established, its influence has grown even larger. It obstructs free discussion, criticism, and even the free market of ideas.

Suspicion that the measles vaccine causes autism still persists today. As fake news spreads through SNS, the tendency to hesitate in vaccinating has strengthened. From the perspective of health authorities, this is a serious problem that could undermine herd immunity. If infectious diseases spread widely, public health strategies inevitably face setbacks.

When anxiety increases, the media adds expert interviews and reports in detail. However, adhering to the principle of "mechanical objectivity," which requires presenting opposing views fairly, leads to an increase in negative evaluations. People pay more attention to the incidence of side effects caused by vaccines than to the fact that vaccination protects not only oneself but also others.

The author cites actress Jesse McCarthy, who claimed on The Oprah Winfrey Show that her son developed autism due to vaccines, as a representative case.

"The perception that vaccines are unsafe spread to the public through high-rating TV broadcasts. Winfrey provided a platform to promote the uncertain idea that vaccines cause autism. After that, ABC aired McCarthy as a panelist on the talk show 'The View' for a year. Doctors, science journalists, and commentators strongly argued that McCarthy, an anti-vaccine advocate, should not have been invited to the show because her fixed appearances could spread misinformation."

Donald Trump, then a US presidential candidate, also posted on Twitter about the relationship between vaccination and autism. "Healthy children receive an enormous number of vaccines and become sick. Cases of autism are not uncommon." This tweet was not based on scientific analysis. It was a political attack on the Barack Obama administration, demanding countermeasures.

Personal experiences posted on SNS, inaccurate medical information, and exaggerated damage cases further fuel distrust. In response, the UK Public Health Association urged SNS platforms and the media to take action to combat distrust of vaccines. Around that time, YouTube blocked advertising revenue streams for videos claiming vaccines are unnecessary. However, it did not remove the videos entirely from the platform.

The author repeatedly emphasizes that the role and responsibility of journalism become more important as public opinion becomes more confused.

"To prevent false information from expanding its influence or attacking vulnerabilities in democracy, it is important to restore trust in journalism, practice accurate reporting, strengthen fact-checking, and critically accept news information. The true solution is wiser to be found not in tracking individual speakers but in addressing the role of platforms as indispensable means through which false information is delivered and amplified."