Mapping the Covid-19 Infodemic: Prevalence, Beliefs and Misconceptions among Anyole Radio Listeners

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic unfolded alongside an extensive infodemic, marked by rapid dissemination of inaccurate, unverified and misleading information that undermined public health communication. This study maps the prevalence, belief structures and dominant misconceptions surrounding Covid-19 among listeners of Anyole Radio, a community broadcaster in Vihiga County, Western Kenya. Using a descriptive research design, 384 respondents were sampled through criterion based, quota and purposive techniques targeting active radio listeners, community radio journalists and local health practitioners. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and semi structured interviews to identify misinformation encountered and assess the extent to which audiences endorsed or rejected these claims. The study further examined Anyole Radio’s role in disseminating misinformation and providing accurate and factual information to its audience.
Findings indicate that misinformation was widespread with respondents encountering multiple false claims regarding Covid-19 causes, prevention and treatment. Herbal remedies such as ginger and garlic (55.7%) and the belief that alcohol cures Covid-19 (31.3%) were the most frequently cited misconceptions, while claims that the pandemic was fabricated for donor funding (45.6%) and that vaccines cause impotence (21.4%) further shaped perceptions. Belief in these narratives remained substantial, with over half of those exposed accepting the herbal and alcohol cure claims as true.
Social media emerged as the primary source of misinformation (67.12%), followed by the broader internet (46.88%) and word of mouth (36.98%). Radio sources accounted for only 10.42% of misinformation reports, with Anyole Radio implicated by just 0.03125% of respondents. Conversely, 96.875% reported receiving factual Covid-19 information from Anyole Radio particularly on mask use, social distancing and hand hygiene, reflecting high audience trust.
These findings highlight the interplay between misinformation exposure, belief formation and trusted community media providing an empirical basis for strengthening localized strategies to counter health misinformation during public health crises.