The Dangers of Celebrity Misinformation
If you’ve been on Twitter this past week, chances are you’ve seen the thread of anti-vaccination tweets Nicki Minaj has posted to her millions of followers. In her posts, Nicki details a third-hand anecdote of genital swelling as a reaction to the coronavirus vaccine, despite there being no evidence to suggest that any fertility-related side effects exist. By making this public stance, Nicki has put her fans who loyally follow her into potentially life threatening positions.
This viral debacle revealed much about the dangers of celebrities spreading misinformation and how this notion normalises a culture of political tribalism. Dr. Sarah Olutola, Assistant Professor of Writing at Lakehead University in Canada, joined the Thursday Daily to discuss the issue.
