가짜 뉴스의 경제적 비용: 코로나19 가짜 뉴스의 사례

초록

This study estimates the impact of fake news about movement of people with COVID-19 cases on local economies. In the early stages of the pandemic, fake news spread through the internet and negatively impacted local economies as people avoided the area. This resulted in an exogenous shock to the local economy, with a decrease in the number of people living in the area, and a decrease in consumption. We incorporate the characteristics of fake news and use “Seoul Living Population” data as a proxy for regional economic activity. The event study estimates show that the spread of false rumors reduced the living population by 11.3 percent. Translating the estimates into economic terms, the results suggest that fake news reduced the GRDP by 20.6 million KRW. It highlights the importance of providing fact-check information to reduce the negative impact of fake news.

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