The Role of Audiences, Citizens, and Victims in International Crises

Wiedicke, Annemarie und Rossmann, Constanze (2025): The Role of Audiences, Citizens, and Victims in International Crises. Addressing Public Health Crises and Pandemics. In: Schwarz, Andreas ; Seeger, Matthew W. und Kim, Sora (eds.) : The Handbook of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research. New York: Wiley. pp. 228-243

Abstract

In recent years, infectious diseases have been traveling across international borders faster than ever before, drawing increasing attention to communication during public health crises and audiences’ responses. Referring to relevant theoretical concepts and current empirical research, this chapter examines major audiences of public health crises and pandemics and discusses how they obtain, comprehend, and respond to information during these times of uncertainty. Specifically, we address audiences’ information behavior and information processing, the role of media and (digital) health literacy in these contexts, the media’s impact on audiences’ risk perceptions, and the overabundance of information and its consequences as major challenges for communication during public health crises and pandemics. Finally, we shed a light on possible areas for future research.

• Item Type: Book Section
• Faculties: Social Sciences > Department of Communications and Media (IfKW)
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 380 Commerce, communications and transportation
• ISBN: 9781394180844
• Place of Publication: New York
• Language: English