scholarly journals The Influence of Partisan Media in the Face of Global Pandemic: How News Media Influenced COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Motta ◽  
Dominik Stecula
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Event ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
News Media ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Effect ◽  
Fox News ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Partisan Media

While vaccination against COVID-19 represents a clear path toward resuming “normal life,” attitudes toward vaccination and vaccine uptake has been highly politically contentious. In this paper, we investigate (1) whether or not partisan news outlets covered COVID-vaccination issues in different ways, and (2) whether differences in coverage contributed to the vaccine politicization. We do this by bringing together novel sentiment-scored COVID vaccine stories (N > 17,000) from cable and mainstream news outlets, N > 180,000 vaccine adverse event reports to the Dept. of Health and Human Services (which we validate both here and in past research as a proxy for public vaccine sentiment), and six original surveys (N = 6,499) measuring vaccination intentions and media use behavior throughout the pandemic. We find that Fox News’ vaccine-related coverage was significantly more negative than that of other cable and mainstream sources. Critically, these differences in tone influenced public opinion about vaccines. Adverse event reports tended to increase following heightened periods of negativity on Fox News, which robustness checks suggest is not likely to be a reverse causal effect. Correspondingly, self-reported Fox News exposure in the opinion data is associated with elevated levels of vaccine hesitancy throughout the pandemic. Collectively, the results provide new insights into the persuasive power of partisan media. While some might expect the promise of ending a global pandemic to interrupt conventional media effect processes, we find that differences in covered vaccine-related issues had both predictable and polarizing effects on public opinion.

Partisan media effects beyond one-shot experimental designs

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kathleen Searles ◽  
Joshua P. Darr ◽  
Mingxiao Sui ◽  
Nathan Kalmoe ◽  
Raymond Pingree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Media Effects ◽  
News Media ◽  
Online News ◽  
Repeated Exposure ◽  
Experimental Designs ◽  
Fox News ◽  
Partisan Media ◽  
News Effects ◽  
Partisan News

Abstract Previous study demonstrates that partisans perceive in-party news outlets as fair, and out-party news outlets as unfair. However, much of this study relies on one-shot designs. We create an ecologically valid design that randomly assigns participants to news feeds within a week-long online news portal where the balance of in-party and out-party news outlets has been manipulated. We find that sustained exposure to a feed that features out-party news media attenuates Democrats' beliefs that Fox News is unfair, but the same is not true for Republican's perceptions of MSNBC's fairness. Unexpectedly, repeated exposure to in-party news did increase Republicans' beliefs that Fox News is unfair. This study updates our understanding of partisan news effects in a fragmented online news environment.

The Hostile Media Effect

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
News Media ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Media Effect ◽  
Hostile Media Effect ◽  
Hostile Media

The “hostile media effect” occurs when opposing partisans perceive identical news coverage of a controversial issue as biased against their own side. This is a robust phenomenon, which has been empirically demonstrated in numerous experimental and observational studies across a variety of issue contexts and has been shown to have important consequences for democratic society. This chapter reviews the literature on the hostile media effect with an eye toward the theoretical explanations for it, its relationship to other psychological processes, and its broader implications for perceived public opinion, news consumption patterns, attitudes toward democratic institutions, and political discourse and participation. Particular attention is paid to how the hostile media phenomenon can help explain the public’s eroding trust in the news media and the recent polarization among news audiences. The chapter concludes with several suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions and Differences by Sex, Age, and Education in 1,367 Community Adults in Ontario

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina K. Syan ◽  
Mahmood R. Gohari ◽  
Emily E. Levitt ◽  
Kyla Belisario ◽  
Jessica Gillard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Online Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
To Receive

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic and vaccination efforts may be impeded by vaccine hesitancy. The present study examined willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the associated reasons for willingness/unwillingness, and vaccine safety perceptions in a cross-sectional assessment of community adults in Ontario.Methods: One thousand three hundred sixty seven individuals (60.6% female, mean age = 37.5%) participated in this study between January 15, 2021 and February 15, 2021. Perceptions of vaccine safety and reasons for willingness/unwillingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were investigated using an online assessment. Perceptions were investigated in general and by age, sex and education using analysis of variance.Results: Overall, 82.8% of the sample reported they were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 17.2% reported they were unwilling. The three most common reasons for unwillingness were long-term side effects (65.5%), immediate side effects (60.5%), and lack of trust in the vaccine (55.2%). Vaccine willingness significantly differed by sex and education level, with female participants and those with less than a bachelor's degree being more likely to report unwillingness. Perception of COVID-19 vaccine safety was significantly lower (−10.3%) than vaccines in general and differed by age, sex and education, with females, older adults, and individuals with less than a bachelor's degree reporting lower perceived COVID-19 vaccine safety.Conclusion: In this sample of community adults, the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate was less than one in five individuals, but with higher rates in population subgroups. Targeting public health messaging to females and individuals with less than bachelor's degree, and addressing concerns about long-term and immediate side effects may increase vaccine uptake.

The Hostile Media Effect

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
News Media ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Media Effect ◽  
Hostile Media Effect ◽  
Hostile Media

The “hostile media effect” occurs when opposing partisans perceive identical news coverage of a controversial issue as biased against their own side. This is a robust phenomenon, which has been empirically demonstrated in numerous experimental and observational studies across a variety of issue contexts and has been shown to have important consequences for democratic society. This chapter reviews the literature on the hostile media effect with an eye toward the theoretical explanations for it, its relationship to other psychological processes, and its broader implications for perceived public opinion, news consumption patterns, attitudes toward democratic institutions, and political discourse and participation. Particular attention is paid to how the hostile media phenomenon can help explain the public’s eroding trust in the news media and the recent polarization among news audiences. The chapter concludes with several suggestions for future research.

Reading the Tea Leaves—the News about the News

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadijah Costley White
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Tea Party ◽  
Online Video ◽  
Tea Leaves ◽  
High Ranking ◽  
Fox News ◽  
The Media

This chapter looks at how the media explained, critiqued, and reported on their own role in the branding and coverage of the Tea Party, and what that says about news media function and convergence in a headphone culture. Whether it was a “media war” on Fox News, a reporter’s rant at CNBC, or a defamatory online video triggering the dismissal of a high-ranking Obama appointee for “racism,” one thing was clear—at its core, Tea Party news narratives were also a story about modern journalism. This section of the book explains how members of the news media portrayed (implicitly and explicitly) their own roles, functions, and values as they advanced the Tea Party’s recognition, messaging, and growth through the logics, action, and discourse of branding.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2: Vaccine Hesitancy among Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups with HIV in Miami, Florida

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L Jones ◽  
Ana S Salazar ◽  
Violeta J Rodriguez ◽  
Raymond R Balise ◽  
Claudia Uribe Starita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Medical Mistrust ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 and HIV disproportionally affect underrepresented ethnoracial groups in the US. Medical mistrust and vaccine hesitancy will likely impact acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. This study examined SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy among underrepresented ethnoracial groups with HIV and identified factors that may reduce vaccine uptake. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults ≥18 years with HIV residing in Miami, FL. Participants were invited to participate in the ACTION (A Comprehensive Translational Initiative on Novel Coronavirus) cohort study. A baseline survey was administered from April-August 2020 and followed by a COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy survey from August-November 2020. The COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy survey was adapted from the Strategic Advisory Group Experts survey. Comparisons by race and ethnicity were performed using the Freedman-Haltmann extension of Fisher’s exact test Results A total of 94 participants were enrolled, mean age 54.4 years, 52% female, 60% Black non-Latinx, and 40% non-Black Latinx. Black non-Latinx participants were less likely to agree that vaccinations are important for health when compared to non-Black Latinx (67.8% vs 92.1%, p=0.009), less likely to agree that vaccines are effective in preventing disease (67.8% vs 84.2%, p=0.029), less likely to believe that vaccine information is reliable and trustworthy (35.7% vs 71.1%, p=0.002), and less likely to believe vaccines were unnecessary because COVID-19 would disappear soon (11% vs 21%, p=0.049). Conclusion Medical mistrust, vaccine hesitancy and negative sentiments about SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are prevalent among underrepresented ethnoracial groups with HIV, particularly Black non-Latinx. Targeted strategies to increase vaccine uptake in this population are warranted.

scholarly journals Willingness to Receive the COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Vaccines among the Saudi Population and Vaccine Uptake During the Initial Stage of the National Vaccination Campaign: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Amel Ahmed Fayed ◽  
Abeer Salem Al Shahrani ◽  
Leenah Tawfiq Almanea ◽  
Nardeen Ibrahim Alsweed ◽  
Layla Mohammed Almarzoug ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Seasonal Influenza ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Influenza Vaccines ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
To Receive

This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.

scholarly journals Interim Estimates of COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness in a Mass Vaccination Setting: Data from an Italian Province

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 628
Author(s):  
Maria Elena Flacco ◽  
Graziella Soldato ◽  
Cecilia Acuti Martellucci ◽  
Roberto Carota ◽  
Rossano Di Luzio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Event ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Cox Model ◽  
National Health System ◽  
Vaccine Dose ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Serious Adverse Event ◽  
Italian Province ◽  
Official Data

This retrospective cohort study compared the rates of virologically-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, symptomatic or lethal COVID-19 among the residents of the Italian province of Pescara who received one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, versus the unvaccinated. The official data of the National Health System were used, and a total of 69,539 vaccinated adults were compared with 175,687 unvaccinated. Among the subjects who received at least one vaccine dose, 85 infections (0.12%), 18 severe and 3 lethal COVID-19 cases were recorded after an average follow-up of 38 days. Among the unvaccinated, the numbers were 6948 (4.00%), 933 (0.53%) and 241 (0.14%), respectively. The serious adverse event reports—yet unconfirmed—were 24 out of 102,394 administered doses. In a Cox model, adjusting for age, gender, and selected comorbidities, the effectiveness of either BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or mRNA-1273 vaccines was higher than 95% in preventing infections (mostly due to B.1.1.7 variant), symptomatic or lethal COVID-19. No differences were observed across genders, and among the 691 subjects who received the second dose of vaccine later than the recommended date. Although preliminary, these findings support current immunization policies and may help reducing vaccine hesitancy.

Vaccine Hesitancy and Differential Susceptibility to Media Coverage: A Critical Documentary Led to Substantial Reductions in Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake in Denmark

2021 ◽  
pp. 0272989X2110035
Author(s):  
Maria Knoth Humlum ◽  
Niels Skipper ◽  
Peter Rønø Thingholm
Keyword(s):  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Papillomavirus Vaccine

Objectives To investigate whether negative media coverage of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine led to a decrease in the uptake of the first dose of the HPV vaccine (HPV1) in Denmark and, importantly, whether some groups of individuals were more susceptible to negative media coverage. Methods We measured HPV vaccine uptake of 12-year-old girls born in 2001 to 2004 using Danish administrative data. A quasi-experimental design was employed to assess whether a documentary that was critical of the HPV vaccine and aired in March 2015 affected HPV uptake. Results The documentary led to a quick and substantial decrease in the monthly propensity to vaccinate, which dropped 3 percentage points—or about 50%—in response to the documentary. Responses differed substantially across subgroups, and girls from families with high socioeconomic status (SES) were more susceptible to the negative media coverage. Conclusions Susceptibility to negative media coverage varied substantially across subgroups, highlighting the need for policy makers to appropriately target and differentiate initiatives to improve vaccine compliance rates.

scholarly journals 1.C. Workshop: How are digital solutions contributing to enhance immunization programmes and policies?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Childhood Vaccination ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Immunization Programmes

Abstract As vaccine hesitancy and decreasing immunization coverage have been identified by the World Health Organization as global alarming health threats, it is of crucial importance to exploit the potential offered by digital solutions to enhance immunization programmes and ultimately increase vaccine uptake. We have previously developed and published a conceptual framework outlining how digitalization can support immunization at different levels: i) when adopted for health education and communication purposes, ii) in the context of immunization programmes delivery, and iii) in the context of immunization information systems management. The proposed workshop is co-organized by the EUPHA Digital health section (EUPHA-DH) and EUPHA Infectious diseases control section (EUPHA-IDC) and aims at discussing the current AVAILABILITY, USE and IMPACT of digital solutions to support immunization programmes at the international, national and local level, as well as, debating on how technical infrastructures on one side and normative and policy frameworks on the other side enable their implementation. We plan to have a rich set of contributions covering the following: the presentation of a conceptual framework identifying and mapping the digital solutions' features having the potential to bolster immunization programmes, namely: i) Personalization and precision; ii) Automation; iii) Prediction; iv) Data analytics (including big data and interoperability); and v) Interaction; the dissemination of key results and final outputs of a Europe-wide funded project on the use of Information & Communication Technology to enhance immunization, with particular reference to the use and comparative impact of email remainders and personal electronic health records, as well as the results of an international survey conducted to map and collect best practices on the use of different digital solutions within immunization programmes at the national and regional level; the firsthand experience of the United Kingdom NHS Digital Child Health Programme which developed, implemented and is currently evaluating a number of solutions to increase childhood vaccination uptake in England, including an information standard and information sharing services developed to ensure that the details of children's vaccinations can be shared between different health care settings the perspective and experience of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for Europe and of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the global level of what has worked so far in the digitalization of immunization programmes around the world, what recommendations were developed and which barriers identified at the technical normative and policy level Key messages Digitalization has great potential to support immunization programmes but its practice and impact need to be measured. Country-level and international experiences have created qualitative and quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of digital intervention aimed at increasing vaccine uptake.

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