An analysis of the potential influences of misinformation on Alberta’s public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic and what this tells us about policy creation in the age of social media

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dc.contributor.authorRobertson, Micah
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeLadner, Kiera (Political Studies)
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeKoop, Royce (Political Studies)
dc.contributor.guestmembersPeeler, Bryan (Political Studies)
dc.contributor.supervisorLecce, Steven
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-23T21:14:19Z
dc.date.available2023-11-23T21:14:19Z
dc.date.issued2023-11-23
dc.date.submitted2023-11-23T20:50:40Zen_US
dc.degree.disciplinePolitical Studiesen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts (M.A.)
dc.description.abstractThe COVID-19 pandemic exposed a variety of previously unrecognized problems and showed how new aspects of our growing culture and world have complicated all aspects of our lives. One issue that was both an old problem we learned more about and a new evolution that we were rudely awakened to is misinformation. This paper through the use of a literature review, analysis of government actions, and covid era misinformation, sought to examine if misinformation affected the pandemic response from the Canadian province of Alberta. After reviewing what misinformation was present with several trends in public health response as well as data related to the efficacy of the Albertan public health response and criticism of its failures, this paper believes that there is a high likelihood that there was an influence from misinformation. This influence started early on, causing hesitation to put in place health orders, and an extreme eagerness to lift them. It then slowly grew and mutated, potentially resulting in the ousting of one premier and their replacement with a leader who is significantly more beholden to misinformation.
dc.description.noteFebruary 2024
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/37811
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectMisinformation
dc.subjectCovid-19
dc.subjectAlberta
dc.subjectPublic health
dc.subjectPublic policy
dc.subjectPublic health policy
dc.subjectSocial Media
dc.subjectPandemic
dc.subjectPublic health response
dc.subjectTimeline
dc.subjectCovid-19 misinformation
dc.titleAn analysis of the potential influences of misinformation on Alberta’s public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic and what this tells us about policy creation in the age of social media
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobano
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