Cultivation of Fear Through Media: Analysis to Reveal Relationship between Perception about COVID 19 and Socio-economic Background of Media Consumers

Manzoor, Samia; Safdar, Aasima

doi:10.47067/reads.v6i2.198

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Studies on the ways in which the media have handled the COVID-19 pandemic have already accounted for some important aspects, including the biases that characterise mass information [45] (AlAfnan, 2020), among which stigma and incitement to hatred emerge in importance [46] (Robie, Krishnamurthi, 2020), but have also underlined the ability to give scientifically correct information [47] (Anderson et al, 2021). They then considered effects from the resulting increase in perceived risk of contagion as well, including depression [48] (Olagoke et al, 2020), worry and fear [49,50] (Garfin et al, 2020; Manzoor & Safdar, 2020). Despite all these contributions, to date there is very little literature regarding how the press has addressed the current pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic

Solomon

Rostellato

Testoni

et al. 2021

Behavioral Sciences

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Exactly one year ago, between February and March 2020, the COVID-19 infection went from an epidemic confined to China to a worldwide pandemic that was particularly lethal in Italy. This study examined the media accounts during that period by analysing the representation of death-related constructs in Corriere della Sera, the most widely read newspaper in Italy. A textual and thematic analysis of articles published between period A (epidemic: 23 January–22 February 2020) and period B (pandemic: 23 February–31 March 2020) was conducted using Nvivo-11. A total of 141 articles comprising 48,524 words were collected. The most utilised words and meanings linked to COVID-19 were computed. In the rank distribution, ‘China’ and ’virus’ were the terms most frequently used in both periods. The terms ‘death’ and ‘dead’ were completely absent in period A and appeared in the 535th position in period B. The term ‘dead’ was used primarily to indicate the number of deceased. From a Terror Management Theory perspective, it is possible that the minimal reference to death-related issues was a reflection of death denial and a manifestation of efforts to deny death to manage terror. These findings highlight the ambiguities and ambivalence surrounding any issue pertaining to death; on the one side, undue alarmism may provoke exaggerated reactions, such as moral panic, while on the other denial-based messages that minimise references to mortality may reduce safe behaviour during a pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic

Solomon

Rostellato

Testoni

et al. 2021

Behavioral Sciences

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“…This study provides a preliminary exploration of potential key antecedents of mental resilience of employees and risk factors for the occurrence of mental disorders under prolonged stress exposure. While most studies on risk communication are focused on the influence of media on employees response formation (Chong and Choy, 2018 ; Garfin et al, 2020 ; He et al, 2020 ; Manzoor and Safdar, 2020 ; Tsoy et al, 2021 ), we have undertaken to investigate how threat perception and perceived efficacy under the ongoing exposure to job uncertainty can precipitate mood disorders. There is lack of support in the literature that would explain how exposure to hazard-related information influences the formation of adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies of employees aimed at psychological well-being retention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Threat of COVID-19 and Job Insecurity Impact on Depression and Anxiety: An Empirical Study in the USA

Obrenovic

Godinić

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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As the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic causes a general concern regarding the overall mental health of employees worldwide, policymakers across nations are taking precautions for curtailing and scaling down dispersion of the coronavirus. In this study, we conceptualized a framework capturing recurring troublesome elements of mental states such as depression and general anxiety, assessing them by applying standard clinical inventory. The study explores the extent to which danger control and fear control under the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) threat impact job insecurity, with uncertainty phenomenon causing afflicting effect on the experiential nature of depression heightened by anxiety. With the aim to explore the job insecurity relationship with anxiety and depression, and measure the impact of EPPM threat, an empirical study was conducted in the United States on a sample of 347 white collar employees. Demographic data, EPPM threat, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression data were collected via a standardized questionnaire during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The questionnaire consisting of multi-item scales was distributed online. All the scale items were evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. SEM software AMOS version 23 was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation. In the structural model, relationships between the threat of COVID-19, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression were assessed. The findings of the study suggest that job insecurity has a significant impact on depression and anxiety, whereas the threat of COVID-19 has a significant impact on depression. Mediating effects of job insecurity and EPPM threat impact on anxiety were not established in the study. The study contributes to the apprehension of the repercussions of major environmental disruptions on normal human functioning, and it investigates the effects of self-reported protective behaviors on risk perception. The study also explains the underlying mechanisms of coping behavior as possible antecedents to mental disorders. When subjected to stressful events, heightened psychological arousal causes physical and psychological challenges of affected employees to manifest as behavioral issues.

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“…Through their storytelling function, the media also have the capacity to cultivate certain beliefs, perspectives, values, and attitudes, thereby shaping culture and perceptions of the world ( 17 ). In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have suggested that the media have shaped public risk perception ( 18 ), trust and mistrust ( 19 ), fear ( 20 ), and compliance with public health measures ( 11 , 21 ). For the general public, media reporting on COVID-19 has allowed for the swift dissemination of information in ways that are more accessible than research findings, which often take significant time to produce and are written for a select audience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigation of media reports of digital surveillance within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Comer¹,

Donelle²,

Ngole³

et al. 2023

Front. Digit. Health

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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in digital public health surveillance worldwide, with limited opportunities to consider the effectiveness or impact of digital surveillance. The news media shape public understanding of topics of importance, contributing to our perception of priority issues. This study investigated news media reports published during the first year of the pandemic to understand how the use and consequences of digital surveillance technologies were reported on.MethodsA media content analysis of 34 high- to low-income countries was completed. The terms “COVID-19,” “surveillance,” “technologies,” and “public health” were used to retrieve and inductively code media reports.ResultsOf the 1,001 reports, most were web-based or newspaper sources on the development and deployment of technologies directed at contact tracing, enforcing quarantine, predicting disease spread, and allocating resources. Technology types included mobile apps, wearable devices, “smart” thermometers, GPS/Bluetooth, facial recognition, and security cameras. Repurposed data from social media, travel cards/passports, and consumer purchases also provided surveillance insight. Media reports focused on factors impacting surveillance success (public participation and data validity) and the emerging consequences of digital surveillance on human rights, function creep, data security, and trust.DiscussionDiverse digital technologies were developed and used for public health surveillance during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of these technologies and witnessed or anticipated consequences were reported by a variety of media sources worldwide. The news media are an important public health information resource, as media outlets contribute to directing public understanding and shaping priority public health surveillance issues. Our findings raise important questions around how journalists decide which aspects of public health crises to report on and how these issues are discussed.

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Cultivation of Fear Through Media: Analysis to Reveal Relationship between Perception about COVID 19 and Socio-economic Background of Media Consumers

Cited by 8 publications

References 24 publications

Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic

Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic

The Threat of COVID-19 and Job Insecurity Impact on Depression and Anxiety: An Empirical Study in the USA

An investigation of media reports of digital surveillance within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

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