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Media Exposure and Anxiety during COVID-19: The Mediation Effect of Media Vicarious Traumatization

Author

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  • Cong Liu

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China)

  • Yi Liu

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China)

Abstract

The rapid spread and high death rates of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in massive panic and anxiety all over the world. People rely heavily on media for information-seeking during the period of social isolation. This study aimed to explore the relationship between media exposure and anxiety, and highlighted the underlying mechanisms mediated by the media vicarious traumatization effect. A total of 1118 Chinese citizens participated in the online survey, who were from 30 provinces in mainland China. Results showed that all four types of media (official media, commercial media, social media, and overseas media) cause vicarious traumatization to their audiences to different degrees. It was also found that the impact of media exposure on anxiety was mediated by media vicarious traumatization: there were full mediation effects for commercial media exposure and overseas media exposure, while there were indirect-only mediation effects for official media exposure and social media exposure. Audiences staying in cities with a relatively severe pandemic were more susceptible to the vicarious traumatization caused by commercial media compared to those staying in Hubei. This study expanded the concept and application of vicarious traumatization to the mediated context, and the findings provided insightful advice to media practitioners in the face of major crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Cong Liu & Yi Liu, 2020. "Media Exposure and Anxiety during COVID-19: The Mediation Effect of Media Vicarious Traumatization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:13:p:4720-:d:378589
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Hyehyun Hong & Hyo Jung Kim, 2020. "Antecedents and Consequences of Information Overload in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Ruixia Han & Jian Xu & David Pan, 2022. "How Media Exposure, Media Trust, and Media Bias Perception Influence Public Evaluation of COVID-19 Pandemic in International Metropolises," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Massimiliano Scopelliti & Maria Giuseppina Pacilli & Antonio Aquino, 2021. "TV News and COVID-19: Media Influence on Healthy Behavior in Public Spaces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Ines Kožuh & Peter Čakš, 2021. "Explaining News Trust in Social Media News during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Role of a Need for Cognition and News Engagement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-12, December.
    5. D. A. Akuratiya, 2021. "The Effect of Social Media on Spreading Fear and Panic during COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(5), pages 190-196, May.
    6. Nguyen Xuan Truong & Bui Hoang Ngoc & Nguyen Thai Ha, 2022. "The Impacts of Media Exposure on COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Vietnamese People: Evidence Using Expanded Protection Motivation Theory," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    7. Paolo Contini & Santo Di Nuovo & Maria Sinatra & Elisabeta Osmanaj & Lucia Monacis, 2022. "Investigating the Buffering Effects of Greenery on the Adverse Emotional, Mental and Behavioral Health during the Pandemic Period," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-13, July.
    8. Ruoheng Liu & Yi-Hui Christine Huang & Jie Sun & Jennifer Lau & Qinxian Cai, 2022. "A Shot in the Arm for Vaccination Intention: The Media and the Health Belief Model in Three Chinese Societies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Savadori, Lucia & Lauriola, Marco, 2022. "Risk perceptions and COVID-19 protective behaviors: A two-wave longitudinal study of epidemic and post-epidemic periods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    10. Yi Liu & Cong Liu, 2023. "Protective and Overprotective Behaviors against COVID-19 Outbreak: Media Impact and Mediating Roles of Institutional Trust and Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-15, January.

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