COVID-19 e informazione: davvero tutto è lecito?

Abstract

Covid 19 epidemic has brought with it an enormous flood of news, too often inaccurate and not scientifically reliable. Many commentators, journalists, pseudo- intellectual changed suddenly themselves into experts of virology, pharmacology, epidemiology (and statistics), overflowing social and traditional media with an endless stream of (supposed to be) “interesting opinions”. Common people do not well understand how dangerous could be this sort of infodemic. Reliable information is the basis of knowledge and knowledge should be the basis of any decision regarding public interest and health. Then a systematic misinformation could really erode public good, leading to unwise and wrong personal and political decisions. In order to cope with this general issue, really not limited to Covid-19 epidemic, Germany and France approved, respectively in 2017 and 2018, a law against so called “fake news”. Italy is still waiting after a couple of bills rapidly aborted. The authors well understand that balancing the right of freedom of speech and control over information is a hard and sensitive task. Nonetheless, it is a necessary one.