Psychological Insights on the Role and Impact of the Media During the Pandemic; Lessons from COVID-19; 1

This volume places the spotlight on the role different media and communications systems played in informing the public about the pandemic, shaping their views about what was happening and contributing to behavioural compliances with pandemic-related restrictions. Throughout the pandemic, media coverage has played an important role in drawing attention to specific messages, influencing public risk perceptions and fear responses. Mainstream media and other electronic communication systems such as Facebook and WhatsApp have been pivotal in getting pandemic information out to the public, thereby influencing their beliefs, attitudes and behaviour and engaging them generally in the pandemic as stakeholders. In this timely volume, author Barrie Gunter considers how people reacted to this coverage and its contribution to their understanding of what was going on, including the influence of fake news and misinformation on public beliefs about the pandemic, from anti-lockdown protests to the "anti-vaxx" movement. In addition, looking at how government messaging was not always consistent or clear and how different authorities were found not always to be in harmony or compliance with the messages they put out, Gunter examines the harm done by presenting different publics with ambiguous or conflicting narratives. Drawing out important communications strategy lessons to be learned for the future, this is essential reading for students and researchers in psychology, public health and medical sciences and for policymakers who assess government strategies, responses and performance. Psychological Insights on the Role and Impact of the Media During the Pandemic Cover -1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Chapter 1: Pandemic, Media and the Public 8 The Onset of a Global Pandemic 9 Pandemics and the Media 12 Importance of the Media during Pandemics 13 The Negative Potential of Media News 15 Online Media and the Pandemic 16 This Book 18 References 19 Chapter 2: News Media and Quality of COVID News 24 Volume of News Coverage 25 The Emotionality of News 27 The Information Value of COVID-19 News Coverage 30 The Politicisation of COVID-19 News 33 Lessons Learned 36 References 37 Chapter 3: Online Chatter about COVID-19 43 Pandemics Drive Internet Search Volumes 43 Sentiments Expressed 45 Information Quality 49 News Frames on Twitter 50 Lessons Learned 51 References 53 Chapter 4: Public Confidence in News and Journalism 56 News Consumption Habits during the Pandemic 57 Public Satisfaction with News Coverage 58 Relative Confidence in Media News 59 Perceived Usefulness of News Sources 62 Relative Importance of Different Information Sources 63 Global Importance of Pandemic News 66 Lessons Learned 70 References 71 Chapter 5: News Media and Impact on Public Understanding 75 News Media and Public Understanding 76 Framing and News Impact 77 Self-Attributed Public Knowledge of COVID News 79 News Media Exposure and COVID-19 Knowledge 79 Importance of Understanding for Cognitive Coping 81 Lessons Learned 82 References 84 Chapter 6: The Internet and Public Perceptions of the Pandemic 93 Attention to Social Networks during the Pandemic 94 Online Information Dissemination 96 Online Chatter and COVID Awareness and Attitude 99 Twitter and Public Attitudes to COVID Interventions 100 Lessons Learned 101 References 102 Chapter 7: Misleading Pandemic Information and the Public 107 Bias in Media Coverage 108 Conspiracy Theories 109 Conspiract Theories - Explanations 110 The Role of Different Media in the Spread of Conspiracies 112 Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and Public Raction 113 Social Media Use and Belief in Conspiracy Theories 114 Countering Conspiracies 115 COVID Conspiracies: Conclusions 118 References 120 Chapter 8: Media, Risk Perceptions and Fear 128 News Framing and Public Risk Perceptions 129 News Exposure and Emotional Reactions to the Pandemic 132 Variances in News Storytelling and Public Response 137 News Coverage and Discrimination 138 Lessons Learned 139 References 139 Chapter 9: Media and Behavioural Compliance 142 Media, Risk Availability and Behavioural Compliance 143 News Relevance and Public Behaviour 144 Narrative Frames and Public Behaviour 147 Key Lessons 151 References 153 Chapter 10: Social Media, Behavioural Compliance and Other Outcomes 158 Social Media Use and Pandemic Behaviour 159 Compliance: Social Media Use and Self-Isolation Intention 159 Social Media, Conspiracy Theories and Spin-Off Effects 159 Conspiracy Theories and Public Compliance with Authorities 160 Conspiracy Mindsets and Pandemic Response 163 Social Media Use and Positive Health Impact 164 Key Lessons 164 References 166 Chapter 11: Pandemic, Media and Ageism 170 Ageism and Health 171 Media and Ageism 173 Pandemic, News Media and Ageism 175 Pandemic, Social Media and Ageism 176 Lessons Learned 178 References 179 Chapter 12: The Pandemic, the Media and Mental Health 184 Media, COVID-19 and Mental Health 186 Social Media, COVID-19 and Mental Health 187 Media, Pandemic and Self-Harm 188 Media Practices to Counter Adverse Mental Health Effect 190 Selective Use of Media to Alleviate Mental Health Problems 193 References 194 Chapter 13: Importance of the Media during a Pandemic 201 Media, Government Action and Public Protection 202 The Public: Better Informed and Better Prepared 204 News Media, Public Awareness and Behavioural Compliance 205 The Internet, Public Awareness and Behavioural Compliance 205 Social Media Behaviour and Public Well-Being 206 Social Media Use to Reach Specific Communities 208 Boosting Pandemic Knowledge and Understanding: Role of Different Media 209 Modelling Health Communications during a Pandemic 211 Closing Comments 212 References 213 Index 218 This volume examines the role played by media and communications systems in informing and influencing the public on behavioural compliances with pandemic restrictions. It is essential reading for researchers in psychology, public health and medical sciences, and policy makers assessing government strategies, responses, and performance. "This volume places the spotlight on the role played by different media and communications systems on informing the public about the pandemic, shaping their views about what was happening, and contributing to behavioural compliances with pandemic-related restrictions"-- Provided by publisher