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

by Barrie Gunter

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032228754
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/12/2022
Series:	Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Barrie Gunter is an Emeritus Professor in Media at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. A psychologist by training, he has published more than 80 books on a range of media, marketing, business, leisure and psychology topics.

Table of Contents

1 Pandemic, Media and the Public 1

2 News Media and Quality of Covid News 17

3 Online Chatter about Covid-19 36

4 Public Confidence in News and Journalism 49

5 News Media and Impact on Public Understanding 68

6 The Internet and Public Perceptions of the Pandemic 86

7 Misleading Pandemic Information and the Public 100

8 Media, Risk Perceptions and Fear 121

9 Media and Behavioural Compliance 135

10 Social Media, Behavioural Compliance and Other Outcomes 151

11 Pandemic, Media and Ageism 163

12 The Pandemic, the Media and Mental Health 177

13 Importance of the Media during a Pandemic 194

Index 211