The Public’s Perceptions of Government Officials’ Communication in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shaniece B Bickham,Diane B Francis

doi:10.1177/09732586211003856

Shaniece B Bickham, Diane B Francis

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/09732586211003856

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Abstract

Early news coverage in the US about the COVID-19 pandemic focused on information released from local, state and federal government officials. With an emphasis on US government at these levels, this study examined whether the public’s credibility perceptions and trust in government, along with message exposure, influenced their adherence to information from the government about (a) stay-at-home orders, (b) social distancing and (c) COVID-19 testing. Source credibility theory and situational crisis communication theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Through the survey data analysis, we investigated communication preferences in the wake of the pandemic and whether credibility perceptions differed according to the level of government. Survey findings revealed that message exposure influenced respondents’ perceived credibility of and trust in government officials during and after the stay-at-home order. Finally, practical implications regarding recommended communication strategies based on the findings were discussed.

Highlights

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (2020) declared COVID-19 a pandemic
A study conducted by Pew Research Center in April 2020 revealed that while stories about COVID-19 received heavy attention from national media, local media proved to be a relied-upon avenue for virus-related information (Shearer, 2020)
Considering the vast amount of information released through media from the local, state and federal levels of government and other sources, the present study examined the perceived credibility of officials during a crisis to determine whether perceptions differed according to government level, and the influence of message exposure on credibility perceptions of government officials

Summary

Introduction

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (2020) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Shortly thereafter, the US President declared the virus outbreak a national emergency effective March 1, 2020 (White House, 2020). Not much information was available in regards to COVID-19 testing at that time, testing yielded considerable attention as media organizations began reporting on the new pandemic as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country started increasing at a rapid pace. A 2018 Pew Research Center study showed that a majority of the respondents believed that both the federal government and news media withheld information that could be useful to the public (Rainie & Perrie, 2019). A study conducted by Pew Research Center in April 2020 revealed that while stories about COVID-19 received heavy attention from national media, local media proved to be a relied-upon avenue for virus-related information (Shearer, 2020). The study reported that 61% of survey respondents followed both national and local news for COVID-19 news. 23% reported that they followed local media for COVID19 information more than national news

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