Amid the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Britons are seeking solace from literature and buying up stories about fictional pandemics. With people’s fears and anxieties getting greater every day, they’re turning to fiction for answers – but it could add to the hysteria.

Young people are consuming the news in vastly different ways to generations before them, but news brands still don’t know how to speak to them. How can young people get the information they need to be informed citizens and is it time to rethink what news means for the next generation?

Where once experts were regarded as symbols of authority and respect, today they are overshadowed by influencers, personal opinions, and instant gratification. Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Tom Nichols, to find out the reasons and impacts behind the era of self-proclaimed experts.

The United Nations is calling on creatives to help produce visuals that share life-saving COVID-19 information. As misinformation and conflicting opinions of the pandemic run rife across social media, creative institutions could play a vital role in consolidating information about the outbreak.