THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEMS OF OPTOMETRY

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the links among health authorities’ public relations efforts, news media coverage, and public perceptions of risk during the H1N1 pandemic outbreak. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a triangulation of research methods by comparing public relations materials, media coverage, and public opinion. The data were collected from a federal government web site, national newspapers, and national polls. Findings – The data revealed a positive relationship between information subsidy attention and media attention to the H1N1 disease as well as the severity attribute. The salience of the severity attribute in information subsidies was linked with increased H1N1 salience in media coverage, extending the testing of the compelling-arguments hypothesis to an agenda-building context. However, there was no association between salience of the severity attribute and public risk perceptions. Research limitations/implications – The study provides evidence for public relations effectiveness. However, the limited influence of the severity frame on the public's risk perception suggests a gap between news coverage and the public's view. Framing that effectively empowers the public to engage in desired behavior should be further studied for the success of a public health campaign. The study is limited to examining the severity attribute. A future study should pay more attention to different issue attributes or other frames. The media sample was limited to newspapers and thus lacks generalizability. Originality/value – The study contributes to public relations scholarship by demonstrating how information subsidies influence media agendas and public opinion in a health communication context. The public health authorities’ role in influencing media agenda should be stressed.

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Editor’s Essay: The Multi-Disciplinary and Diverse Field of Crisis and Risk Communication Research

Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research ◽

10.30658/jicrcr.4.3.0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 439-450

Author(s):

Audra Diers-Lawson ◽

Florian Meissner

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Relations ◽

Risk Communication ◽

Political Science ◽

Public Interest ◽

Crisis Communication ◽

Communication Research ◽

The Public ◽

Diverse Field ◽

Common Perception

The field of crisis and risk communication research has always been multidisciplinary bringing together researchers from many fields like business, public relations, political science, sociology, psychology, journalism, tourism, and public health. However, there is often a common perception outside the fields of crisis communication that is a corporate discipline focused mostly on helping organizations manage their reputations. As the pieces in this issue demonstrate, our field serves the public interest in many ways and is a growing global field of study.

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Public relations of the public health services

Public Health ◽

10.1016/s0033-3506(37)80020-7 ◽

1937 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. A1-A6

Author(s):

Sir George Chrystal ◽

Sir Philip Henriques

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Public Relations ◽

Public Health Services ◽

The Public

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Counterfeit vaccines in Indonesia: managing the issue through media

Journal of Communication Management ◽

10.1108/jcom-09-2018-0081 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 510-520

Author(s):

N. Nurlaela Arief ◽

Siti Karlinah ◽

Yanti Setianti ◽

Sri Susilawati

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Relations ◽

Emergency Situation ◽

Public Health Emergency ◽

Future Research ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

National Agency ◽

Content Type ◽

The Public ◽

The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how media plays a role in the issue of counterfeit vaccines. Specifically, to describe how the government communicators manage issues of counterfeit vaccines in Indonesia. Even though a public health emergency situation is very hard to predict, monitoring issues in media is crucial before communicating with the public. This will help improve public trust on the importance of vaccines. Design/methodology/approach The study collected data from June until December 2016. The research method employed quantitative content analysis of data obtained from media monitoring and interviews. Findings The results show that the issue of fake vaccines received great attention from the media with a total of 1,724 news headlines on the topic. The government communicators were responsive in handling this issue by providing sources of information for key influencers when it arose. Since the majority of media sentiment was positive, the research also proposes a model for the future managing of issues on counterfeit vaccines. Research limitations/implications Limited to managing issues on media about counterfeit vaccines and how government communicators and stakeholders communicated during the crisis. It is suggested that future research should focus on the emotional perspective of parents whose children were affected by counterfeit vaccines. Practical implications This research is worthwhile for Public Relations Practitioners in government health institutions, such as the Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Control and PR practitioners in Hospitals and Pharmacies to overcome another communication crisis in a public health emergency. Social implications To increase awareness in Indonesia about the importance of vaccines and to educate the public about using government vaccines without fear. Originality/value This research is new as the topic about counterfeit vaccines has not been brought up before. This has the potential to have a considerable impact to local communities, as well as a wider impact on global health systems.

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