Information behavior during the Covid-19 crisis in German-speaking countries

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the Covid-19 crisis at the level of individual information behavior among citizens from the German-speaking countries, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted among 308 participants gathered through convenience sampling in April and May 2020, focusing on how citizens changed their mix and usage intensity of information sources and according to which criteria they chose them during the Covid-19 crisis. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for testing central tendencies. Effect sizes were considered to support the interpretation.FindingsThe results show first that the Covid-19 crisis has led to an increased demand for reliable information. This goes alongside a significant increased use of public broadcasting, newspapers and information provided by public organizations. Second, the majority (84%) of the participants reported being satisfied with the information supply during the Covid-19 crisis. Participants who were less satisfied with the information supply used reliable sources significantly less frequently, specifically public television, national newspapers and information provided by public organizations. Third, the amount of Covid-19-related information led some participants to a feeling of information overload, which resulted in a reduction of information seeking and media use.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to analyze changes of information behavior patterns of individuals during crises in the current information environment, considering the diversity of resources used by individuals.

Product availability and stockpiling in times of pandemic: causes of supply chain disruptions and preventive measures in retailing

“…Retailers can implement corporate citizenship campaigns thus reducing the consumers’ fear of COVID-19and hence its negative effects such as panic buying (Arachchi et al, 2022 ). Meanwhile, COVID-19 crisis could have increased the demand for reliable information alongside a significant use of data provided by public organizations (Dreisiebner et al, 2021 ).…”

Häufig gestellte Fragen (FAQ) in der Risikokommunikation zu COVID-19: Erstellung und Bedeutung als interinstitutionelles Krisenreaktionsinstrument

“…eine zielgruppenspezifischere Kommunikation bevorzugen). FAQ eignen sich zudem insbesondere für Menschen, die sich selbst aktiv informieren [ 58 – 60 ]. Somit ist es wichtig, die FAQ in eine Kommunikationsstrategie zu integrieren, die sich auf mehrere Kanäle und unterschiedliche Instrumente erstreckt und sowohl Zielgruppen selbst als auch Multiplikatorinnen und Multiplikatoren anspricht, um eine möglichst hohe Reichweite zu erzielen [ 20 ].…”

“I Try to Find a Balance”: Investigating Strategies for Self‐Regulating Covid News Consumption

“…Other studies demonstrated a link between news consumption in general (i.e., not only on social media) and information overload. For example, a study conducted in German‐speaking countries in the first months of the pandemic showed an increase in the demand for reliable information and in the use of public broadcasting, newspapers, and information from public organizations (Dreisiebner et al, 2021). However, the sheer volume and publishing frequency of Covid information during the peak of the crisis led some participants to feel a sense of information overload after intense news consumption, which eventually led to reduced consumption (Dreisiebner et al, 2021).…”

“…For example, a study conducted in German‐speaking countries in the first months of the pandemic showed an increase in the demand for reliable information and in the use of public broadcasting, newspapers, and information from public organizations (Dreisiebner et al, 2021). However, the sheer volume and publishing frequency of Covid information during the peak of the crisis led some participants to feel a sense of information overload after intense news consumption, which eventually led to reduced consumption (Dreisiebner et al, 2021). High levels of Covid news consumption during the first months of the pandemic also led to greater emotional distress (Stainback et al, 2020), and heightened anxiety in parents due to concerns over their children becoming infected (Ebrahim et al, 2020).…”

“…Most studies that have investigated Covid‐related information behavior can be divided into those that focus on seeking (e.g., Ebrahim et al, 2020; Huang et al, 2021; Liu, 2020; Oosterhoff and Palmer, 2020; Schäfer et al, 2021; Stainback et al, 2020; Yang et al, 2022; Zhang and Zheng, 2021), avoiding (e.g. Siebenhaar et al, 2020; Buneviciene et al, 2021; Link, 2021; Bruin et al, 2021; Qu et al, 2021; Song et al, 2021) or a combination of both, where extensive information seeking may result in overconsumption and, in turn, subsequent avoidance (Ahn et al, 2021; Dreisiebner et al, 2021; Kim et al, 2020; Liu et al, 2021; Nolte et al, 2021; Soroya et al, 2021).…”