News coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic: Missed opportunities to promote health sustaining behaviors

Abstract

Background: Given that individuals may make health decisions based on mass media coverage, and given that such decisions have broad consequences in the case of highly contagious infectious disease, it is imperative that public health practitioners are aware of mass media coverage on emerging health threats such as COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to examine the content of news segments covering COVID-19 posted on-line. Methods: Using the Google Videos function on a cleared browser, all videos identified from January and February, 2020 were archived by URL for analysis. After applying exclusion criteria, a total of 401 remained, comprising the sample. Content categories derived from trusted sources were applied to assess the content of broadcast news segments pertaining to COVID-19 on Google Videos. Results: The most common topic mentioned across all videos was death and the death rate (43.6%) and many connoted anxieties surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak (37.4%). Critically important information about the prevention of COVID-19 spread received little attention. For example, only 3.0% of videos discussed coughing into or blowing one's nose into a tissue and throwing the tissue away, 6.2% talked about wearing a facemask when caring for the ill, and 8.8% covered disinfecting highly touched objects and surfaces. International videos more often presented captions and English subtitles (with and without narration) (7.8% vs. 0.9%, p Z 0.018) and even more frequently discussed death and the death rate associated with COVID-19 (56.9% vs. 41.7%, p Z 0.04). Conclusion:Coupled with the resultant increase in negative emotion, the majority of videos missed an opportunity to reframe messages to encourage and promote coping strategies and health sustaining behaviors. Future videos should avoid contributing to negative emotion.

Health Literacy, Media Exposure and Behavior Among Young Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The knowledge level of young people was also influenced by information conveyed through non-mass media or conveyed oral by the closest significant person, example family, peer group or people they trusted. 31 It is therefore imperative that public health practitioners are aware of mass media coverage on emerging health threats such as COVID-19. 31,32 Besides, health providers role, parents or family followed to campaign COVID-19 issue in their family circumstances (73.2%), the one of parent's obligation is to remain and explain disease prevention such as personal hygiene, stay at home to their children when pandemic 33 .…”

“…31 It is therefore imperative that public health practitioners are aware of mass media coverage on emerging health threats such as COVID-19. 31,32 Besides, health providers role, parents or family followed to campaign COVID-19 issue in their family circumstances (73.2%), the one of parent's obligation is to remain and explain disease prevention such as personal hygiene, stay at home to their children when pandemic 33 . Information resources from non-mass media have correlation to the health literacy level of COVID-19 with (P-value 0.011) (P-value < 0.05).…”

“…This condition places Indonesia as the country with the highest growth of Internet users, more than five times the global average in 2016-2017. 36 In a pandemic era, these situations can be an advantage and excellence in promoting health behavior 31 . The results of the study were also in accordance with previous research, which explains that the audio-visual social media of Facebook Indonesia has published and released a new normal life, even though the COVID-19 rate continues to increase.…”

“…43 In all of aspect, new normal behavior of a young adult, achievable strategies for mass media campaigns and a significant person who delivered information from the last few epidemics should be identified and implemented. These messages should be culturally tailored and translated into several languages to increase outreach 31 . The information package must depend on the current situation and young adult interest and psychological factors, both in terms of belief, motivation, and encouragement to behave in preventing COVID-19 as well as participating in disseminating correct information about COVID-19.…”

How People Emotionally Respond to the News on COVID-19: An Online Survey

“…During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, mass media has played an important role in informing people, particularly during the early weeks of the crisis. Providing extensive negative news, including a high rate of morbidity and mortality caused by COVID-19, as well as uncertainties for preventive and therapeutic interventions, may evoke various emotional responses ( Basch, Hillyer, Meleo-Erwin, Mohlma, Cosgrove, & Quinones, 2020 ; Haroon & Rizvi, 2020 ; Restubog, Ocampo, & Wang, 2020 ). This issue has been addressed by previous studies establishing the association between viewing televised trauma (e.g.…”