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How health organizations communicate about COVID-19 on social media: a comparative content analysis.
Ma, Lingyan; Wang, Yuan; Kim, Jiyoun.
  • Ma L; Department of Communication, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
J Commun Healthc ; 16(1): 83-92, 2023 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2270096
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

This study examined how different health organizations (i.e., the Chinese CDC, the Korean CDC, the United States CDC, and WHO) communicated about the COVID-19 pandemic on social media, thus providing implications for organizations touse social media effectively in global health crises in the future.

METHODS:

Three bilingual researchers conducted a content analysis ofsocial media posts (N = 1,343) of these health organizations on Twitter and Sina Weibo to explore the frames of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purposes, and the strategies to communicate about it.

RESULTS:

Prevention was the dominant frame of the social media content of these four health organizations. Information update was the major communication purpose for WHO, the United States CDC, and the Korean CDC; however, guidance was the primary communication purpose for the Chinese CDC. The United States CDC, the Chinese CDC, and the Korean CDC heavily relied on multiple social media strategies (i.e., visual, hyperlink, and authority quotation) in their communication to the public about the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas WHO primarily employed quoting authorities. Significantdifferences were revealed across these health organizations in frames, communication purposes, and strategies. Theoretical and practical implications and limitations were discussed.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study examined how different global health organizations communicate about the COVID-19 pandemic on social media. We discussed how and why these global health organizations communicate the COVID-19 pandemic, which would help health-related organizations design messages strategically on global public health issues in the future.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Commun Healthc Year: 2023 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 17538068.2022.2103334

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Social Media / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Commun Healthc Year: 2023 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 17538068.2022.2103334