Pandemic on the air: a case study on the coverage of new influenza A/H1N1 by Brazilian prime time TV news

Medeiros, Flavia Natércia da Silva; Massarani, Luisa

doi:10.22323/2.09030203

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…This general uncertainty concerning the necessity and possible side effects of the vaccine paired with a sensationalizing media coverage regarding the consequences of H1N1 can be observed in almost all affected countries. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Especially studies on the public's assessment of the media's performance during the pandemic find much criticism. The perception that the media played up the threat posed by the virus was a recurring element among this criticism: a qualitative study from New Zealand speaks of the media as over-hyping the risk.…”

Section: Significance For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in Italy Revisited: Has the Willingness to Get Vaccinated Suffered in the Long Run?

Ludolph

Nobile

Hartung

et al. 2015

Journal of Public Health Research

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BackgroundThe aim of the study is to assess the long-term secondary effects of personal experience with the H1N1 pandemic of 2009/2010 and the perception of the institutional reaction to it on Italians’ willingness to get vaccinated in case of a novel influenza pandemic.Design and MethodsWe conducted 140 face-to-face interviews in the Registry Office of the Municipality of Milan, Italy, from October to December 2012.ResultsWillingness to get vaccinated during a novel influenza pandemic was best predicted by having been vaccinated against the seasonal flu in the past (OR=5.18; 95%CI: 1.40 to 19.13) and fear of losing one’s life in case of an infection with H1N1 (OR=4.09; 95%CI: 1.68 to 9.97). It was unaffected by the assessment of institutional performance.ConclusionsThe findings of this study do not point to long-term secondary effects of the institutional handling of the H1N1 pandemic. The results highlight the fact that behavioural intention is not the same as behaviour, and that the former cannot simply be taken as an indicator of the latter.Significance for public healthWhereas influenza pandemics occurred rather rarely in the last centuries, their frequency can be expected to increase in the future due to the enhanced globalisation and still raising importance of air travelling. Recent examples (Ebola, H1N1, SARS, avian influenza) demonstrate that initially local disease outbreaks often become worldwide health threats of international concern. National and international health authorities are consequently urged to present preparedness plans on how to manage such health crises. However, their success highly depends on their acceptance by the public. To ensure the public compliance with recommended actions, effective communication is needed. Since communication is most successful when it meets the needs of the target audience, a full understanding of the audience is crucial. This study can help public health experts to better understand the variables determining people’s willingness to get vaccinated during influenza pandemic, in terms of behavioural and perceptual variables. This knowledge enables them to correctly address the public’s concerns when having to communicate during the next outbreak of pandemic influenza.

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Section: Significance For Public Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in Italy Revisited: Has the Willingness to Get Vaccinated Suffered in the Long Run?

Ludolph

Nobile

Hartung

et al. 2015

Journal of Public Health Research

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“…Indeed, the media have often been criticized for inadequate and inaccurate coverage . Studies have found that media coverage tends to overemphasize risks, as well as negative consequences and potential damages of risks, an observation that can be explained by the SARF.…”

Section: Media and Crisis Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When direct experience with risks is lacking, information flow via the media is assumed to become the central agent of public risk perception and thus possibly amplification . SARF specifies four attributes that may influence amplifications in the flow of information: the volume of information, the degree of debates about risks, dramatization, and symbolic connotations .…”

Section: Sarfmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mediated Amplification of a Crisis: Communicating the A/H1N1 Pandemic in Press Releases and Press Coverage in Europe

2017

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In the aftermath of the A/H1N1 pandemic, health authorities were criticized for failures in crisis communication efforts, and the media were accused of amplifying the pandemic. Considering these criticisms, A/H1N1 provides a suitable case for examining risk amplification processes that may occur in the transfer of information from press releases to print news media during a health crisis. We integrated the social amplification of risk framework with theories of news decisions (news values, framing) in an attempt to contribute to existing research both theoretically and empirically. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of press releases disseminated by health and governmental authorities, as well as the quality and tabloid press in 10 European countries between March 2009 and March 2011. Altogether 243 press releases, 1,243 quality press articles, and 834 tabloid press articles were coded. Consistent with research on news values and framing the results suggest that quality and tabloid papers alike amplified A/H1N1 risks by emphasizing conflict and damage, presenting information in a more dramatized way, and using risk-amplifying frames to a greater extent and risk-attenuating frames to a lesser extent than press releases. To some extent, the quality and tabloid press differed in how risk information was presented. While tabloid press articles seemed to follow the leading quality press with regards to content and framing of health crisis coverage, they exhibited a stronger emphasis on drama and emotion in the way they presented information.

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“…66 But also a shift in emphasis to fears and panic in society rather than research and scientific development is feasible, as was observed in media reports about the new disease H1N1 in 2009 in Brazil. 67 Also such a shift results in an emphasis on news values (negativity, threat) that fit the modern media logic.…”

Section: Media Logicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientists and deliberativeness of European public television news

Wurff¹,

Verhoeven²,

Gadellaa³

2013

JCOM

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Pandemic on the air: a case study on the coverage of new influenza A/H1N1 by Brazilian prime time TV news

Cited by 22 publications

References 32 publications

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in Italy Revisited: Has the Willingness to Get Vaccinated Suffered in the Long Run?

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic in Italy Revisited: Has the Willingness to Get Vaccinated Suffered in the Long Run?

The Mediated Amplification of a Crisis: Communicating the A/H1N1 Pandemic in Press Releases and Press Coverage in Europe

Scientists and deliberativeness of European public television news

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