Risk sharing on Twitter: Social amplification and attenuation of risk in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Zhang, Xiaochen Angela; Cozma, Raluca

doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.106983

Cited by 46 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…A moderate level of fear is needed to take the risk seriously and act on it [22]. Consistent with the literature, this study identifies the balance between fear and efficacy as vital when communicating control of the spread [10,50]. By doing so, health risk communicators may provide the public with necessary information, without attenuation or amplification of the risk in correspondence with the SARF [42].…”

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 70%

Key topics in pandemic health risk communication: A qualitative study of expert opinions and knowledge

et al. 2022

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Background Science communication can provide people with more accurate information on pandemic health risks by translating complex scientific topics into language that helps people make more informed choices on how to protect themselves and others. During pandemics, experts in medicine, science, public health, and communication are important sources of knowledge for science communication. This study uses the COVID-19 pandemic to explore these experts’ opinions and knowledge of what to communicate to the public during a pandemic. The research question is: What are the key topics to communicate to the public about health risks during a pandemic? Method We purposively sampled 13 experts in medicine, science, public health, and communication for individual interviews, with a range of different types of knowledge of COVID-19 risk and communication at the national, regional and hospital levels in Norway. The interview transcripts were coded and analysed inductively in a qualitative thematic analysis. Results The study’s findings emphasise three central topics pertaining to communication about pandemic health risk during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: 1) how the virus enters the human body and generates disease; 2) how to protect oneself and others from being infected; and 3) pandemic health risk for the individual and the society. Conclusion The key topics emerging from the expert interviews relate to concepts originating from multiple disciplinary fields, and can inform frameworks for interprofessional communication about health risks during a pandemic. The study highlights the complexity of communicating pandemic messages, due to scientific uncertainty, fear of risk amplification, and heterogeneity in public health and scientific literacy. The study contributes with insight into the complex communication processes of pandemic health risk communication.

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Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 70%

Key topics in pandemic health risk communication: A qualitative study of expert opinions and knowledge

et al. 2022

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“…In the current digital age, social media, such as Twitter, have become a major tool for the diffusion and distribution of information [ [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] ]. There was an alarming increase in tweets mentioning COVID-19 over the days following the COVID-19 outbreak [ 27 ].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With more and more people accessing and sharing risk information online [ 35 , 36 ], social media increased the complexity of implementing healthcare protocols. As a result, users concluded that they needed to deal with trusting, processing, and distributing information from a variety of sources, with many channels communicating conflicting messages about the COVID-19 risk [ 26 ]. As a result, a significant research question arises relating to how individuals look for information and how this information can affect their behaviour, particularly as online media consumption has changed the news cycle, which is now characterised by the reduction in the use of intermediaries between producers and consumers of information [ 32 ].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Heroes to Scoundrels: Exploring the effects of online campaigns celebrating frontline workers on COVID-19 outcomes

Polyzos

Fotiadis

Huan

2023

Technology in Society

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“…The behavior of social media users to share and seek information is a growing area of study. A recent study found that Twitter users were less inclined to share risk information if they were concerned about the presence of misinformation (Zhang & Cosma, 2022). Another compared traditional and social media's role in shaping risk perceptions of forest fire haze and dengue fever.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The social amplification of risk framework: New perspectives

et al. 2022

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Risk sharing on Twitter: Social amplification and attenuation of risk in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 46 publications

References 42 publications

Key topics in pandemic health risk communication: A qualitative study of expert opinions and knowledge

Key topics in pandemic health risk communication: A qualitative study of expert opinions and knowledge

From Heroes to Scoundrels: Exploring the effects of online campaigns celebrating frontline workers on COVID-19 outcomes

The social amplification of risk framework: New perspectives

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