In our exhibitions we encourage discussion and ask audiences questions, encouraging them to respond. In the exhibition Breaking News? how the smartphone changed journalism on view at The Media Majlis fall 2020–spring 2021, we asked our visitors three key questions:
___Who has seen misleading information about COVID-19 from different media sources?
___What type of media do people use for getting news on COVID-19?
___How trustworthy is the news about COVID-19 on the internet?
These questions were inspired by research from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) that took place in late March and early April 2020. Their research aimed to document and understand how people in six countries (Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Spain, UK, and USA) accessed news and information about COVID-19 in the early stages of the global pandemic. In addition, they asked how people rated the trustworthiness of the different sources and platforms they rely on, how much misinformation they say they encounter, and their knowledge of and responses to the coronavirus crisis. This RISJ research, along with other data sources was included in the Breaking News? exhibition.
The animated graphics above combine the findings from RISJ with the responses from our visitors. If you want to know more about the creation of this data visualization, read a short interview with Superposition, one of our animation partners. If you are interested in knowing more about the RISJ, watch this program recording about Smart Speakers with RISJ research associate, Nic Newman.
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Author credits
Jack Thomas Taylor
Jack Thomas Taylor (b. 1991, United Kingdom) joined the Media Majlis Museum in 2017 as one of the founding curators and has worked extensively across multiple areas of the organization since its inception. Since 2009, he has held various positions in the arts, culture, and creative domains in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar across exhibitions, branding, visual arts, programming, and publishing. Taylor has consulted a variety of organizations on cultural and creative strategy and contributed to notable projects including the countrywide experience for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. As an experienced curator and producer of ideas, he has worked in diverse and Agile work environments, managing exhibitions and media products from concept through to delivery. Taylor has wide-ranging experience in creative services, including with BOND Creative Agency as a studio manager, strategist, and producer (Abu Dhabi) and as an independent consultant with brand experience agency Imagination. In addition, he has held editorial positions at Alef (which he founded in 2014) and Brownbook. Taylor has also written for the likes of Canvas, Harper’s Bazaar, LS:N Global, Sotheby’s, Time Out, and Vision. In 2023, Taylor became a founding board member of the inaugural International Council of Museums (ICOM) national committee in Qatar.