Open AccessInformation Source, Media Credibility, and Epidemic Control in COVID-19 Pandemic
Author(s) -
Yuanyuan Liu,
Xiaojing Li
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of emergency management and disaster communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2689-9809
pISSN - 2689-9795
DOI - 10.1142/s2689980921400017
Subject(s) - social media , credibility , closeness , pandemic , public health , news media , media relations , public opinion , government (linguistics) , covid-19 , control (management) , public relations , political science , medical information , media coverage , business , advertising , medicine , sociology , politics , media studies , computer science , family medicine , philosophy , mathematics , artificial intelligence , law , mathematical analysis , linguistics , pathology , nursing , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Based on classic media theories and typical case studies, this paper analyzed the main media types and information sources in COVID-19 infections and the impacts on media trust and social trust, as well as the effects on public health prevention and national epidemic control. It found that news media, social media, aggregated media, medical media, and government media were the five main media types people used in this pandemic. News media performed well on professionalism, timeliness, closeness to public, and social support. Aggregated media and medical media also deserved public trust on error recovery, closeness to public, unselfishness, etc. The fake news on social media, inconsistent data, and information disclosure lag impaired public trust on media. Medical media promoted the health preventive behavior of the public. News media greatly influenced the agenda setting, public opinion, and national epidemic control in the COVID-19 pandemic.