Public discussion on Covid-19 in Mexico: What does Twitter tell us?
by
Miguel Garcia-Guerrero,
Diogo Lopes-de Oliveira,
Erick Moreno,
Nereida Martínez-Báez,
Amelia Rodríguez-Pinedo
and
Elizabeth Ruiz-García
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a deep global impact in several social spheres, ranging from public health, economic activities, education and even the polarization that has occurred in the public discussion of the subject. Politicians, artists and scientists alike have expressed their positions on social media, producing debates with a wide range of perspectives that are not necessarily based on sound scientific facts. Thus, the conflict between reliable information and misinformation contributes to the growing uncertainty and complexity of the pandemic. This article explores how people look for references to build an opinion regarding the pandemic and the way in which personalities of different ranks, professions and nuances spread their opinions on health issues in Mexico. As methodological tools, the team analyzed hundreds of tweets from eleven profiles, divided into three groups: celebrities, politicians, and science communicators, in 14 relevant events during the pandemic. The results led to the construction of four major sections: deniers, moderates, cautious and critical. With this work, a basis is cemented to develop containment actions against disinformation and strategies to make the impact of Covid-19 visible, given the need for Mexican society to have reliable information to assume a position towards the so-called “new normality”.
Volume 6 • Issue 01 • 2023