The recent epidemic of police experiencing “fentanyl overdoses” may not be what it seems. Guests on the podcast The Politics of Everything debunks these “overdoses” in three parts. The first and second dispel the myth that fentanyl can cause an overdose by merely touching it; the drug’s reputation as being incredibly deadly causes people to become increasingly paranoid over possible exposure. However, since police are exposed to the drug more often, this fear manifests itself into panic attacks mistaken as overdoses by the untrained eye. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
