Motives for the spread of misinformation and falsehoods via social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analytical and exploratory study on a sample of Sudanese professionals

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented surge in information across digital
platforms, coinciding with a scarcity of accurate scientific data in the early stages of the crisis.
This created a fertile environment for the spread of false and misleading information, a
phenomenon known as "Infodemic" as documented by the World Health Organization and
various academic studies.
This study aims to analyze the forms and types of misleading information, explore the
underlying motives behind its emergence and spread, and monitor its relationship with the
flow of official information, as well as its impact on public behavior and decision-makers.
The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach using an electronic questionnaire
distributed to a purposive professional sample of 102 specialists (academics, journalists,
doctors, and social media activists) in the United Arab Emirates. Data was collected between
January and March 2025. Results showed that 79.4% of participants believe the spread of
fake news is linked to motives of attracting attention and achieving personal or commercial
gains. The survey revealed that the main drivers for the spread of misleading news were:
attracting attention (40.2%), journalistic scoops (23.5%), and entertainment (17.6%).
Furthermore, information scarcity (42.2%) topped the list of reasons contributing to the
spread of false news. News related to prevention methods was the most circulated (30.4%).
Additionally, 27% of participants indicated their reliance on traditional media as a primary
source of information.
The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic created a fertile ground for the
dissemination of false and misleading information due to the scarcity of official information
and increased reliance on social media. The findings emphasize the necessity of promoting
media literacy and digital awareness to limit the impact of false information, in addition to
employing artificial intelligence techniques for content verification on social platforms.
Keywords: Misinformation, COVID-19, Social Media, Infodemic