Audience Attitudes towards the Spokesperson of Health Ministries During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Kuwait

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the attitudes of the Kuwaiti audience towards the performance of the official spokesperson of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health (MOH), during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted with a convenience sample consisting of 1201 respondents, of which 52.9% were males and 47.1% were females, with an age range of17-70 years (m=34.78, SD=11.75). The main tool of this study was an electronic questionnaire, that included some demographic variables and self-rating items, such as mass media usage for press conferences and audience motivations to follow the press conferences. It also included the MOH’s official spokesperson’s performance items: the nature of the language, personal characteristics, information presentation, and audience satisfaction. T-test, f-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation, and Scheffe test were used as statistical tools. This study found significant relationships among the audience motivations, the MOH’s official spokesperson’s performance dimensions, and respondents' demographic variables in the intensity of usage of traditional and new media for broadcasting the official spokesperson’s press conferences. This study concluded that there is a need for press conferences, especially during a crisis, in order to fulfil audience motivations and its desire for information about an ongoing crisis, which often makes them focus on social media sites.