MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA      THREE PERSPECTIVES

FORBES                                       Oc. 11, 2014

By Alic G. Walton

The Ebola situation in West Africa is clearly not good. The death toll is rising, and people continue to become infected.....

But the reality is that for people in America and other places outside of West Africa, the risk is still quite low. Caution is important, obviously, and airports and hospitals are taking measures to screen people and protect the public.

 The real issue is a different one: Our fear of Ebola has become many times worse than the problem.

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/10/11/the-problem-with-ebola-in-the-media/

Mobile Phones, Social Media Aiding Ebola Fight

 U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT         Oct. 20, 2014

By Tim Risen

The chase is on to track Ebola in the U.S. and West Africa, and mobile networks and the Internet are helping doctors reach and treat people who may have come in contact with the lethal disease.

 The continent's growing mobile access already has played a key role in the fight to contain Ebola, as Nigeria seems to have tracked all known infections of the disease in its nation​. Volunteer doctors began working with Nigeria’s government in July on the group Ebola Alert, which manages a helpline and social media accounts to inform and get responses from across the nation about infection risks.

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http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/10/10/phones-social-media-aiding-in-ebola-fight

Fear, Misinformation, and Social Media Complicate Ebola Fight

 TIME                                                      Oct. 10

By Victor Luckerson    

Based on Facebook and Twitter chatter, it can seem like Ebola is everywhere. ... there have been a constant stream of posts saying that Ebola can be spread through the air, water, or food, which are all inaccurate claims.

Part of the problem is the piecemeal way in which people now gather their news. According to a Pew Research Center study, almost a third of U.S. adults get at least some of their news from Facebook, where authoritative sources are jockeying for position with friends and relatives. Experts say people are more likely to trust information that comes from people they know. 

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http://time.com/3479254/ebola-social-media/