Media Exposure, Disaster Experience, and Risk Perception of Rural Households in Earthquake-Stricken Areas: Evidence from Rural China

Dingde Xu, Linmei Zhuang, Xin Deng, Cheng Qing and Zhuolin Yong
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Dingde Xu: Sichuan Center for Rural Development Research, College of Management of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Linmei Zhuang: College of Management of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xin Deng: College of Economics of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Cheng Qing: College of Management of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Zhuolin Yong: College of Management of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: For effective communication and management of disaster risks, it is important to explore how media exposure and disaster experience related to earthquake events affect residents’ prospect ranks of disaster risk perceptions. Using survey data from 327 households located in the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquake regions in China, the ordinary least square method was used to explore the associations among media exposure, severity of disaster experience, and residents’ perception of prospect ranks of the possibility and severity of disasters. The results showed the following. (1) Rural households relied predominately on television broadcasts from traditional media, and on mobile phones and internet content from new media to obtain disaster information. From the residents surveyed, 90% believed that a disaster experience was serious, 82% considered that another major earthquake would seriously affect their lives and property, while approximately 40% of the residents did not believe there would be another major earthquake in the next 10 years. (2) Media exposure was negatively correlated with the perceived prospect ranks of the probability and severity of disasters, with traditional media exposure significantly negatively correlated with the perceived prospect ranks of the severity of disasters and new media exposure significantly negatively correlated with the perceived prospect ranks of the probability of disasters. Severity experience was significantly and positively correlated with the perceived prospect ranks of the probability and severity of disasters. (3) New media exposure moderated the relationship between residents’ disaster experience and their perception of prospect ranks of the severity of disasters. This study can help deepen our understanding of disaster risk communication and better guide the practice of disaster risk management.

Keywords: media exposure; disaster experience; risk perception; earthquake; Sichuan province; rural China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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