Institutional Response Strategies of Health Crises Through Public's Lens

ABSTRACT

This descriptive study employs the Social Mediated Crisis Communication Model [SMCC] to primarily identify the crisis response strategies adopted by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in facing the Corona Covid-19 pandemic. The extent to which the public accepted these strategies approved by the ministry following the form of the messages directed to the audience is consequently examined. The study, at the same vein, attempts to detect the audiences' emotional responses that have been shaped following the selected form of messages under analysis. Traditional media, social media or offline word-of-mouth entail the form of message. A content analysis was conducted on the ministry's communications during the study period. To triangulate the data, a questionnaire has been designed and electronically distributed on a sample of 370 students enrolled at Hebron University, Palestine. The analysis has shown that the supportive strategies are the most acceptable responses to the audience. They create a positive emotional reaction following the type of message source applied. The study also concludes that—in health crises—social media and offline word-of-mouth are more convenient as a form of message at the outbreak and during the pandemic. The form of message is highly influential on the development of internal and external dependent-attributed emotions. The current study argues that it is essential to adopt social media and offline word-of-mouth as a communication form during health crises. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.