Containing a Corona Misinfodemic and Covidiocy: Political Talk Shows on German Public-Service TV

Abstract

ABSTRACT Misinformation surrounding the pandemic has spread rapidly in this age of digital virality. We argue that the factual and science-based discussion of the “corona crisis” on Anne Will and Maybrit Illner, two political talk shows on German public-service television, has contributed to containing both a potential misinfodemic and the virus itself. We use thematic analysis to interpret the data from ten shows in March at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. In our study, we examine the extent to which the talk shows rely on the expertise of scientists, particularly virologists, as they refer questions to the experts and discuss the coronavirus pandemic among the participants in an effort to debunk myths and to fight fake news.