Threat, Efficacy, and Uncertainty in the First 5 Months of National Print and Electronic News Coverage of the H1N1 Virus

Abstract

The authors conducted a content analysis, investigating the first 5 months of national print and electronic news coverage of the H1N1 virus. They collected all stories about H1N1 appearing in 6 national news outlets between April and September 2009. Of these stories meeting the analysis criteria, the authors randomly selected 200 for inclusion. Using models of fear appeal message processing, this study investigated the nature and prevalence of threat and efficacy messages in news coverage of the virus. Such models have traditionally been applied to strategic health message contexts (e.g., campaigns) rather than to health news coverage. Results suggest that most stories made reference to the threat of the H1N1 virus, sometimes overemphasizing and sensationalizing virus-related death. With regard to efficacy, approximately half mentioned actions individuals or organizations/communities could take to protect themselves from the virus, but almost none provided evidence that such methods are effective, and some explicitly questioned their effectiveness. In addition, a number of stories referenced uncertainty about the threat of the virus (38%) and/or solutions to the potential threat (18%). The authors discuss the implications from the perspective of fear appeal message processing models.

Threat and Efficacy Uncertainty in News Coverage About Bed Bugs as Unique Predictors of Information Seeking and Avoidance: An Extension of the EPPM

“…However, the utility of fear appeal message processing models like the EPPM extends beyond persuasion. EPPM can also be useful in helping us understand why and how people respond to messages that may incidentally elicit fear reactions, such as news coverage of health and societal issues (see Goodall et al, 2012). News coverage of emerging health crises is likely to have threat and efficacy components, as individuals must be informed about the potential threat, and authorities must provide information about how to deal with it.…”

“…Although decades of research have investigated the role of threat and efficacy in motivating media audiences to take protective actions to avoid perceived threats (see Leventhal, 1970;Rogers, 1975;Witte, 1992;Witte & Allen, 2000), researchers have not thoroughly investigated how audiences respond to threat and efficacy messages that also contain elements of uncertainty. This is important, considering that so much news coverage about emerging health issues is characterized by uncertainty (see Goodall et al, 2012).…”

Hospital Tweets on H1N1 and Death Panels: Text Mining the Situational Crisis Communication Response to Health Crises and Controversies

“…Steven Fuller agrees that entities use rhetorical maneuvering to manufacture controversies, but he interprets these efforts-even allegedly craven, self-interested onesas natural extensions of scientific inquiry (Fuller, 2013). "If science is ultimately about following the truth wherever it may lead, then one should expect inquirers to diverge in their paths, as they extend the same knowledge base in various directions, only some of which will bear substantial fruit, sway colleagues, and have other positive outcomes" (p. 754).…”

“…Per Leah Ceccarelli, manufactured controversies occur when, for political and ideological reasons, organizations and other agents use appeals to fairness to open debates in the public arena about findings with large consensuses in the scientific community (Ceccarelli, 2011(Ceccarelli, , 2013Fuller, 2013). Ceccarelli cites three cases -HIV-AIDS skeptics in Africa, global warming deniers and intelligent design advocates in the US-to explain controversies.…”

“…Organizations tended to use traditional rather than social media to address public emotions about H1N1 (Liu & Kim, 2011). Media coverage sensationalized reports of H1N1-related deaths and embedded overtones of skepticism when reporting prevention methods (Goodall, Sabo, Cline, & Egbert, 2012). In the U.S., the general public used Delicious, an online bookmarking system, to check the CDC website (Freberg, Palenchar, & Veil, 2013).…”