Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Profiles of Multi-Media Use for Risk Communication in the General Population

Samuel Tomczyk (), Maxi Rahn and Silke Schmidt
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Samuel Tomczyk: Department Health and Prevention, Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Maxi Rahn: Department Health and Prevention, Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Silke Schmidt: Department Health and Prevention, Institute of Psychology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-11

Abstract: Although disaster research has acknowledged the role of social media in crisis communication, the interplay of new (e.g., mobile apps) and traditional media (e.g., TV, radio) in public warnings has received less attention, particularly from the recipients’ perspective. Therefore, we examined sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of different types of media use (i.e., traditional, new, mixed) for receiving public warning messages in a population survey (N = 613, 63% female; Mage = 31.56 years). More than two-thirds (68%) reported mixed media use, with 20% relying on new media and 12% on traditional media. Traditional media users were older and reported lower levels of education, while new media users were significantly younger and reported lower trust toward traditional media (i.e., TV). Migrants were more likely to use new but not mixed media. In sum, most participants utilized a mixture of traditional and new media for warning purposes, which has implications for crisis communication. Though, vulnerable populations (e.g., older and less educated participants) mainly rely on traditional media, stressing the need for continued support. Thus, it is paramount to increasingly use mixed methods designs and concurrently examine multiple channels to reflect real-world warning practices and generate ecologically valid results.

Keywords: crisis communication; disaster management cycle; risk communication; multi-media; public warning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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