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The COVID-19 pandemic generated an overwhelming flow of information, including false information, circulating across traditional media and online platforms. The World Health Organization identified this phenomenon as an "infodemic." Within this infodemic, disinformation proved to be particularly problematic. One conspiracy theory that proliferated during this period claimed that 5G technology played a role in spreading the virus, either by weakening the immune system or by being directly responsible for the disease. This claim had no scientific basis whatsoever. It is within this context that the students chose to explore the project they named "InfoCalypse", aiming to understand the mechanisms of transmission of disinformation, highlighting their similarity with the propagation of viruses in the human body, and examining the central role of media as the primary vectors of transmission. To structure their analysis, the students drew on two communication theories studied in their course. The first is propaganda, which encompasses the mechanisms and techniques used to influence the opinions, attitudes and behaviors of a target audience, often through biased or deceptive messages relying on repetition, simplification and emotional manipulation. The second is the hypodermic needle theory of Harold Lasswell, which finds its relevance here because false information is often diffused in a way that directly influences the public's perceptions, who react passively and uniformly to these messages. During the COVID-19 period, the students observe, the psychosis of the pandemic made individuals particularly vulnerable to the direct influence of media, absorbing messages without significant critical thinking. Together, the students argue, these two concepts illuminate how disinformation can be injected into collective thought. 
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The project consists of mapping the cycle of disinformation, structured around four key stages. The first is propaganda. The false claim linking 5G to COVID-19 is the starting point of the entire schema, a manipulation technique using disinformation through rhetorical and visual tactics to sow doubt in public opinion. The second is transmission, framed through the hypodermic needle theory, representing the act of deliberately diffusing false information into the collective consciousness, extending from disinformation campaigns led by state actors to the manipulation of information by interest groups, across channels ranging from traditional media to digital platforms. The third is infection, the phase in which the individual is entirely overwhelmed by the mass of injected information, leading to an anxious atmosphere, a minimisation of protective health measures, a reluctance towards vaccines and health workers, and a mistrust of legitimate sources of information. The fourth and final stage is the remedy, which the students argue rests primarily on educational and preventive approaches, in particular media literacy, teaching critical thinking and the capacity to identify true information, creating an intellectual immunity, with traditional media and public health organisations also playing a crucial role by regularly communicating factual data and refuting false information. To bring this schema to life, the students built a large physical installation using simple materials: cardboard, glue, scissors, adhesive, polystyrene, paper and printed images. They constructed a life-size human body silhouette out of cardboard, around which the four stages of the disinformation cycle were displayed. The visual approach was designed to simplify these complex concepts, allowing visitors to clearly understand how false information spreads and why it is so difficult to stop, while also highlighting the feedback loops that allow disinformation to continue circulating.
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