Is it possible to defuse fake news? Yes, here’s how Taiwan’s government does it.

In February 2020, online hoaxes fueled a panic of toilet paper shortages worldwide.

In Taiwan, it was driven by toilet paper retailers alleging as a marketing ploy that the country’s increased production of face masks was compromising its ability to make bathroom tissue because manufacturers were competing for the same raw materials.

So here’s how the civic hackers at the government respond:

Humor over Rumor

In response to these hoaxes, the Taiwanese government deployed the “humor over rumor” strategy by releasing a meme featuring Taiwan’s Premier wiggling his butt with the caption, “We only have one pair of buttocks.”

The graphic also showed a table clarifying that the pulp in toilet paper was imported from South America and had no relation to medical mask production because those raw materials were sourced locally.

How do they do it?

Government agencies have employed professional comedians as “engagement officers” to help the cause.

Every time a hoax surfaces on social media, the government and their band of civic hackers unleash a joke containing the facts of the matter within two hours of spotting the post. This approach is based on the idea that since people like to share funny memes on social media, doing so allows the government to wrest control of the narrative.

If they miss the two-hour window, Tang’s team locates the perpetrators and recruits them as allies in Taiwan’s coronavirus effort.

But it’s essential to strike the right tone. And that’s why they hire humorists to develop their communications.

Humor spreads faster than other emotions

So why did this work? Humor spreads faster than outrage and sublimates it. By making himself the butt of the joke, the Premier made it clear there was no toxic or malicious intention.

By embracing levity, Taiwan can address other social issues stemming from the pandemic.

Source: Audrey Tang’s TED talk

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