COVID-19 is not the only pandemic: on toxicity and manipulation of news in the troubled present

Abstract

This study examines the “infodemic” that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by the spread of fake news and sensationalist headlines. To do so, the study analyses three real news headlines that students perceived as fake: the interruption of vaccination programs, Chinese doctors’ skin color change and the lawsuit against Fernando Simón. The analysis shows how emotional language, numbers and rhetorical questions influence perception and foster mistrust. Acknowledging young people’s vulnerability to media manipulation, the author proposes educational strategies based on critical reading, linguistic analysis, and fact-checking, emphasizing the role of humanistic education as a key tool to strengthen critical thinking and empower students to resist misinformation in the digital era.