As the Biden administration attempts to swat down misinformation online about the government’s hurricane response, local emergency management officials and aid workers in North Carolina offer a silver lining: The lies haven’t totally permeated the populations they’re working to help.
“In a crisis like this, [mistrust] almost always falls away when it’s human-to-human,” said Alicia Stemper, who is temporarily working as a public information officer in Avery County, North Carolina.
Concerns around misinformation crescendoed last week after FEMA workers in North Carolina temporarily paused activities in response to threatening posts. The Biden administration and FEMA have attempted to correct the misconceptions. Kamala Harris also jumped on the issue, criticizing Donald Trump for elevating false claims.