A study of public relations strategies employed by healthcare organizations in Missouri to combat COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

The development of the COVID-19 vaccine marked a significant milestone in the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, along with the invention of the COVID-19 vaccine came the challenge of misinformation, which threatened vaccination efforts and public health. Misinformation surrounding the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines spread rapidly across various platforms, particularly on social media. Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine posed a significant challenge to vaccine acceptance, affecting public health efforts to achieve herd immunity and put the COVID-19 pandemic under control. The importance of effective public relations strategies to address COVID-19 misinformation cannot be overstated. This study explored strategies implemented by healthcare professionals working in Missouri to address COVID-19-related vaccine misinformation. I performed a mixed approach by using a survey with 153 responses from healthcare professionals working in Missouri and having semi-structured in-depth interviews with 4 local health department administrators. The survey data was examined in SPSS to find correlations between variables such as professional role, years of experience, and preferred sources of COVID-19 vaccine information. Additionally, thematic analysis was conducted on the qualitative data gathered from the in-depth interviews to identify key themes and insights regarding public relations strategies employed by healthcare organizations. The results show that peer-reviewed research, healthcare experts, and government agencies emerged as primary sources of reliable information about the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare professionals. In-depth interview participants emphasized the importance of building trust with communities to provide accurate information and combat misinformation effectively. People's awareness of the echo chamber effect was positively correlated with confidence in distinguishing between accurate information and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. This suggests that awareness of how information circulates within social media platforms may enhance individuals' ability to distinguish credible information from misinformation. Healthcare professionals and organizations need to continue prioritizing communication strategies that build trust and engage communities. Additionally, raising awareness of how social media algorithms amplify sensational or controversial content within like-minded communities is crucial for empowering individuals to evaluate information and navigate digital environments effectively and critically. Through implementing proper public relations strategies, healthcare professionals can build trust with communities, empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health, and effectively combat the spread of misinformation.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Journalism (MU)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Li, Zhengyang

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Luisi, Monique

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/105959

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/105959