Dissemination in Social Media and Blogs of Public Health Information and Misinformation on Covid-19 Containment in Switzerland
Future epidemics are perceived as inevitable. Dissemination of information can enhance awareness, serving as an initial stride towards fostering desired epidemic-controlling actions among the public. In this study, a qualitative content analysis of Covid-19- and Switzerland-related social media and...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Zurich, IKMZ – Department of Communication and Media Research
2024-11-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Health Communication (EJHC) |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ejhc.org/article/view/4642 |
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| Summary: | Future epidemics are perceived as inevitable. Dissemination of information can enhance awareness, serving as an initial stride towards fostering desired epidemic-controlling actions among the public. In this study, a qualitative content analysis of Covid-19- and Switzerland-related social media and blog contributions points at a limited adoption of public health key messages and a negative reputation of the informing authorities. The authorities are to a marginal extent the source of information and a controversial sentiment towards vaccination emerges. In addition, we find a large share of disseminated information that is not conducive to pandemic containment. Within this, a substantial volume of misinformation emerges in statements on Covid-19-related issues. The misinformation consists primarily of unsubstantiated health consequences of the Covid-19 vaccination (both efficacy and side effects), and, less often, of trivialisation or denial of the pandemic. Furthermore, in a phase of political campaigning on a Covid-law referendum in Switzerland, social media contributors often portray pandemic containment as an undue, unlawful, or autocratic imposition on individual and collective freedom, and as a tool deployed for political repression. In addition, the pandemic or its containment are embedded in various conspiracies by users and containment measures are contested with religious, naturopathic or esoteric arguments.
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| ISSN: | 2673-5903 |