scholarly journals Early COVID-19 Government Communication Is Associated With Reduced Interest in the QAnon Conspiracy Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho Fai Chan ◽  
Stephanie M. Rizio ◽  
Ahmed Skali ◽  
Benno Torgler
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Conspiracy Theory ◽  
Early Communication ◽  
Communication Campaign ◽  
Government Communication ◽  
First Case ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Google Search

Does inadequate risk communication during uncertain times trigger the rise of conspiratorial ideas? We hypothesize that, where government COVID-19 risk communication started early, as measured by the number of days between the start of the communication campaign and the first case in the country, citizens are less likely to turn to conspiratorial explanations for the pandemic, which typically assign blame to powerful actors with secret interests. In Study 1a, we find strong support for our hypothesis in a global sample of 111 countries, using daily Google search volumes for QAnon as a measure of interest in QAnon, which is a conspiracy theory contending, among other things, that COVID-19 is a conspiracy orchestrated by powerful actors and aimed at repressing civil liberties. The effect is robust to a variety of sensitivity checks. In Study 1b, we show that the effect is not explainable by pre-pandemic cross-country differences in QAnon interest, nor by ‘secular’ rising interest in QAnon amid the pandemic. A one-standard deviation (26.2days) increase in communication lateness is associated with a 26% increase in QAnon interest. In pre-registered Study 2, we find limited support for the proposition that early communication reduces self-reported pandemic-related conspiratorial ideation in a sample of respondents from 51 countries. Overall, our results provide evidence that interest in extreme ideas, like QAnon, are highly responsive to government risk communication, while less extreme forms of conspiracism are perhaps less so.

scholarly journals Government Communication Strategies during Coronavirus Pandemic: United Arab Emirates Lessons

2021 ◽  
pp. 097206342098309
Author(s):  
Ahmed Farouk Radwan ◽  
Sheren Ali Mousa
Keyword(s):  
Health Communication ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
The State ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Government Communication

Government communication introduced important lessons during the worldwide experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to apply known efficacious principles of risk and health communication strategies. The purpose of the study is to depict and explore the United Arab Emirates government communication scenario in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic as well as look at the types of strategies, information and messages delivered via digital mediums to handle challenges that are raised based on the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model. The study includes a qualitative analysis of two government bodies’ digital platforms: ‘The Ministry of Health and Prevention’ (mohap) and ‘Crisis and Disasters Management Authority’. Results indicated that the UAE government used different communication aims and strategies to face the pandemic according to the risk management scenario. In the quarantine phase, communication focused on giving people information about the disease, raising awareness about the disease, motivating health and behaviour change, informing people about government decisions and procedures. In the coexistence phase communication focused on emphasising the necessity of adherence the health measures, providing information on re-work in institutions and commercial centres, involving people in the health and social initiatives, confronting non-compliance with health precautions. Government communication also focused on facing rumours and false information. UAE government communication used digital platforms and social media to address more than 200 nationalities living in the state for ensuring that they adhere to the precautionary measures and coordinate with the authorities. Government communication was committed to a set of values including equality between citizens of the state and residents, societal and individual responsibility, recognising the frontline medical staff and acknowledging their sacrifices. UAE implemented an integrated, coherent and effective scenario to deal with the crisis. It developed risk communication strategies in health communication to manage the COVID-19 crisis by following international standards and also took into account its own political, economic, social and cultural features. The UAE government used many strategies to inform and convince people including clarification of measures strategy, reassurance strategy, ambiguity reduction strategy, behaviour efficacy strategy, correcting misinformation and rumours, advising strategy.

scholarly journals Why has COVID-19 not hit the countries like Nepal yet?

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Pathak ◽  
Tara Gaire ◽  
Mu-Hsing Ho ◽  
Hui chen (Rita) Chang
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Local Health ◽  
First Case ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Test Kit ◽  
Health Services Need ◽  
The Government ◽  
Google Search

AbstractNoble CORONA Virus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease similar form of pneumonia/ SARS-CoV-2- impacting globally. The fear of coronavirus looks pandemic, but its severity is uncertain. Nepal was one of the first nine countries outside of China to report a COVID-19 case. Also, its unpredictability of mode or range of surface, the lifespan of the virus, objects of transmission (a distance of air/air currents, living duration in air, humidity, duration on objects, surface). The first case was found in Wuhan in December 2019 in China. The purpose is to summarize the current information about COVID-19 and to explore in terms of why Nepal is not hitting severely, while other countries are on death toll? We summarized the published articles form the web sources and news, Academic Journals, Ministry of health and population Nepal, WHO/CDC update reports/guidelines, Google search engine. Thematic analysis is made to explore the situation. Although, Nepal has a lack of health services, testing kits, advance lab and protecting equipment (PPE), why COVID-19 does not hit Nepal than China, Europe and North America, it still tremendous uncertainty. Is lockdown, isolation, social distance and quarantine the best ways of prevention? The hypothesis is floating globally – do BCG vaccinated countries are safer than non-user OR due to not having enough kits to screen populations at risk for the virus – while lack of testing a big cause for missing case OR Nepalese have better immune systems? It has attracted global attention. We believe that the COVID-19 is still evolving and it is too early to predict of an outbreak in Nepal. The government needs to increase funding for local health departments, begin planning for future epidemics and be prepared to bolster the economy by supporting consumer spending the midst of a serious outbreak. COVID-19 is a serious health challenge for Nepal, but so far the number of death has been lower than was foretell. It is, therefore essential to carry out more scientific evidence to explore results. Nepalese health services need to maintain up than today and follow lockdown, isolation, social distance and an advance screening test kit through the country.

scholarly journals Technology Use by Urban Local Bodies in India to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-115
Author(s):  
Falguni Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
First Case ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Central Government Agencies

This article provides a comprehensive review of the use of information and communication technologies by urban local bodies in India in their war against the COVID-19 pandemic based on a detailed survey conducted during the pandemic period. India reported its first case of COVID-19 in late January, and government authorities have been on a war footing since then to curb the spread of the virus. Following a tradition that has been instilled within government agencies since the Modi Government came into power in 2014, local, state, and central government agencies turned to a widespread use of geospatial, surveillance and information and communication technologies as part of a strategy to monitor and track movement, manage individuals, and enforce quarantine norms. However, several important questions arise from the blind use of technology that remain unanswered. The use of technology by government agencies raise key questions on privacy, civil liberties, and suitability and viability of their use.

Rethink Vape: Development and evaluation of a risk communication campaign to prevent youth E-cigarette use

2021 ◽  
Vol 113 ◽  
pp. 106664
Author(s):  
K.J. England ◽  
A.L. Edwards ◽  
A.C. Paulson ◽  
E.P. Libby ◽  
P.T. Harrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Communication Campaign

Democratic breakdown and terrorism

2020 ◽  
pp. 073889422091136
Author(s):  
Joshua Tschantret
Keyword(s):  
Political Violence ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
The Political ◽  
Democratic Breakdown ◽  
Extreme Bounds Analysis ◽  
Implementing Change ◽  
Apparent Relationship ◽  
Cross National

Democracy is one of the most consistent predictors of terrorism. Yet we know little about why there is an apparent relationship between terrorism and democracy. In this article, I argue that previous democratic breakdown is a significant predictor of terrorism. While democratic civil liberties increase the opportunity to carry out terrorist attacks, they do not explain why groups are motivated to use terrorism rather than legal means for implementing change. Democratic breakdown, however, creates grievances that motivate terrorism by excluding groups with full rights of participation from the political process. Such grievances, which persist over long periods of time, will lead to high levels of terrorism once the regime re-democratizes, since the motivation for political violence is combined with the opportunities provided by democratic civil liberties. Cross-national statistical evidence from 1970 to 2007 lends strong support for this argument. It further demonstrates that only democracies that have experienced democratic breakdown experience more terrorism than autocracies. Moreover, an extreme bounds analysis indicates that previous democratic breakdown is one of the most robust predictors of terrorism and the most robust among variables conceptually related to democracy.

Resilience and Decline: Civil Liberties in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 273-301
Author(s):  
Vineeta Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Political History ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Religious Organizations ◽  
Religious Parties ◽  
Religious Reasons

This chapter continues the analysis of the Pakistani case by testing whether the two conditions stated in Hypothesis 2—religious parties in government, and highly institutionalized religious organizations—predict a decline in civil liberties in Pakistan. It identifies two distinct periods corresponding to the presence of religious parties in government in the (i) absence and (ii) presence of highly institutionalized religious organizations in Pakistan. According to the argument articulated in Hypothesis 2, civil liberties should only decline for religious reasons starting in 2009, when the religious Jamaat-e-Ulema-Fazlur party joined the ruling coalition and religious organizations finally achieved moderate levels of socioeconomic institutionalization. In this context, Hypothesis 2 predicts a moderate decline in de facto civil liberties. The chapter uses additional evidence from the survey of 150 Pakistani politicians, analytical narratives from Pakistani political history, and quantitative data to test support for Hypothesis 2 and its corollaries in Pakistan and finds strong support for them.

INSTITUTIONS, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: A CROSS-COUNTRY AND PANEL DATA STUDY

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (04) ◽  
pp. 1550061 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAMIA NASREEN ◽  
SOFIA ANWAR ◽  
MASOOD QADIR WAQAR
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Human Capital Investment ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
Cross Country

In this study, both cross-country and panel techniques have been used to analyze the long-term impact of institutions on investment and economic growth in the context of neoclassical model. The empirical results indicate that both physical and human capital investment have positive impact on economic growth. Economic freedom has a direct impact on economic growth by enhancing factor productivity and indirect by increasing investment. Political and civil liberties also exert positive impact on investment. Further, an important relationship exists between institutional freedom and human capital investment in both cross-country and panel data analysis.

The Fall of an Icon: The Decline in Civil Liberties in Turkey

2021 ◽  
pp. 244-272
Author(s):  
Vineeta Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Political History ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Religious Organizations ◽  
Religious Parties ◽  
Turkish Case ◽  
Religious Reasons

This chapter continues the analysis of the Turkish case by testing whether the two conditions stated in Hypothesis 2—religious parties in government, and highly institutionalized religious organizations—predict a decline in civil liberties in Turkey. It identifies two distinct periods corresponding to the presence of highly institutionalized religious organizations in the (i) absence and (ii) presence of religious parties in government. According to the argument articulated in Hypothesis 2, civil liberties should only decline for religious reasons starting in 2003 when the religious AKP came to power in the context of highly institutionalized religious organizations and both conditions were satisfied in Turkey. The chapter uses additional evidence from the survey of 200 Turkish politicians, analytical narratives from Turkish political history, and quantitative data to test support for Hypothesis 2 and its corollaries in Turkey and finds strong support for them.

The Relationship between Trade, Investment and Environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debashis Chakraborty ◽  
Sacchidananda Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Pollution Haven Hypothesis ◽  
Economic Openness ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Export Orientation ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Trade And Investment

The interlinkage between economic openness and environmental repercussions is a widely researched area. The current study contributes in the existing pool of research by conducting a cross-country empirical analysis for the year 2008 by exploring the interrelationship between openness indicators (trade and investment) and environmental performance of a country. For this purpose, the analysis separately considers export orientation, import orientation, FDI inwardness and FDI outwardness of the countries in different variations of the proposed empirical model. The regression results do not provide strong support to the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH). The findings also confirm a relationship between socio-economic and socio-political factors in a country and its environmental performance. JEL Classification Codes: F18, F21

scholarly journals Seismic risk communication: let’s students show their own way

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (Vol 63 (2020)) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Piangiamore ◽  
Susanna Falsaperla ◽  
Elena Eva ◽  
Gemma Musacchio
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Seismic Risk ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Communication Campaign ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Risk Education ◽  
The Way

Risk communication has been playing an increasing role in modern society and in our lives. Normally framed to prompt reduction of vulnerability to hazards, it tackles issues ranging from prevention to preparedness and addresses a variety of stakeholders, each with a specific role within a community. However, the way to have the most effective risk communication in the long run is to engage young people: they seed the roots that shape future, increase the potential impact of risk mitigation and help build community resilience. This is the vision that drives the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) intervention in the field of seismic risk education. The “Are you taking too many risks?” was a school contest that INGV carried out for the schools involved in the risk communication campaign “Know your school: be safe!” of the project KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements) funded by the European Commission DG-ECHO. Students, within a framework of cooperative learning, were asked to develop risk communication tools, being their peers the target public. It was an experiment of public engagement in risk communication that allowed young people to express their point of view and the way they would discuss and approach risks. Cartoons, animated drawings, interviews, and videos showed the way students see risk mitigation, in the age of parkour. The details of each students’ product are a lesson learned to shape risk communication campaigns in the future.

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