When the big announcement came in January that the Covid vaccine would soon be available in my state of North Carolina, an army of citizens prepared by reading research, watching videos, downloading data, memorizing talking points.
These warriors would become crucial in the delivery of misinformation and memes about the Covid-19 vaccine at the grassroots level.
These people are my neighbors. Their battlefield is the Nextdoor social media platform. And they’re intent on keeping their zip code from getting vaccinated.
Welcome to Nextdoor, where people can find a neighborly place to spew misinformation and damn the soul of a non-believer to hell — and then ask for handyman and hairdresser recommendations.
I began an unintended path through the ugly guts of Nextdoor in January, when two neighbors and I were helping elderly residents navigate the excruciatingly complicated task of getting Covid vaccination appointments. Nextdoor is popular in our corner of suburbia, so we used the platform as our communications vehicle.
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Source: The Covid vaccine and the people of Nextdoor | Nieman Journalism Lab