IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osf/socarx/c76qh_v1.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Paying Attention to the Pandemic: Knowledge of COVID-19 Facts by News Source and Demographics

Author

Listed:
  • King, Molly M.

    (Santa Clara University)

Abstract

Published version available in American Behavioral Scientist: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-023-09589-w. The structured inequalities built into our sociotechnical institutions shape access to knowledge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, knowledge acquisition was shaped by news sources, class, and race. Through analysis of nationally representative data using logistic models, this study reveals how the use of different news sources differentially shapes access to accurate knowledge about COVID-19 topics for different demographics. Those who rely on informal and local news sources have the largest knowledge gaps about these topics, while those who seek information from national or international news outlets and politicians have the most accurate knowledge. Race and class influence knowledge of government operations, public health, and science of COVID-19. In particular, Black people, people with less education, and those with lower incomes are significantly less likely to have accurate knowledge about COVID-19, all else equal. These findings have implications for knowledge dissemination that impacts public health, as well as for how news media target different audiences in an increasingly fractured landscape.

Suggested Citation

  • King, Molly M., 2023. "Paying Attention to the Pandemic: Knowledge of COVID-19 Facts by News Source and Demographics," SocArXiv c76qh_v1, Center for Open Science.
  • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:c76qh_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/c76qh_v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://osf.io/download/60dd58c3ef8b3f021abe09c9/
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.31219/osf.io/c76qh_v1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gamble, V.N., 1997. "Under the Shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and Health Care," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(11), pages 1773-1778.
    2. Kellie J. Archer & Stanley Lemeshow, 2006. "Goodness-of-fit test for a logistic regression model fitted using survey sample data," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 6(1), pages 97-105, March.
    3. Sean Fischer & Kokil Jaidka & Yphtach Lelkes, 2020. "Auditing local news presence on Google News," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(12), pages 1236-1244, December.
    4. SarahAnn M McFadden & Amyn A Malik & Obianuju G Aguolu & Kathryn S Willebrand & Saad B Omer, 2020. "Perceptions of the adult US population regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-6, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kokil Jaidka & Sean Fischer & Yphtach Lelkes & Yifei Wang, 2023. "News Nationalization in a Digital Age: An Examination of How Local Protests Are Covered and Curated Online," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 707(1), pages 189-207, May.
    2. Janvier Gasana & Boubakari Ibrahimou & Ahmed N. Albatineh & Mustafa Al-Zoughool & Dina Zein, 2021. "Exposures in the Indoor Environment and Prevalence of Allergic Conditions in the United States of America," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-13, May.
    3. Amelia S Knopf & Peter Krombach & Amy J Katz & Rebecca Baker & Gregory Zimet, 2021. "Measuring research mistrust in adolescents and adults: Validity and reliability of an adapted version of the Group-Based Medical Mistrust Scale," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, January.
    4. Michał Brzozowski & Grzegorz Tchorek, 2017. "Exchange Rate Risk as an Obstacle to Export Activity," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 115-141.
    5. Paula M. Frew & Jay T. Schamel & Kelli A. O’Connell & Laura A. Randall & Sahithi Boggavarapu, 2015. "Results of a Community Randomized Study of a Faith-Based Education Program to Improve Clinical Trial Participation among African Americans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Joanna F Dipnall & Julie A Pasco & Michael Berk & Lana J Williams & Seetal Dodd & Felice N Jacka & Denny Meyer, 2016. "Into the Bowels of Depression: Unravelling Medical Symptoms Associated with Depression by Applying Machine-Learning Techniques to a Community Based Population Sample," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, December.
    7. Amir Tiyuri & Maryam Rasoulian & Ahmad Hajebi & Morteza Naserbakht & Amir Shabani & Mitra Hakim Shooshtari & Aziz Rezapour & Seyed Abbas Motevalian, 2023. "Psychological impact of the Spring 2019 flood among adult population of Iran," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(8), pages 1916-1927, December.
    8. Peek, Monica E. & Odoms-Young, Angela & Quinn, Michael T. & Gorawara-Bhat, Rita & Wilson, Shannon C. & Chin, Marshall H., 2010. "Race and shared decision-making: Perspectives of African-Americans with diabetes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 1-9, July.
    9. Richmond, Jennifer & Boynton, Marcella H. & Ozawa, Sachiko & Muessig, Kathryn E. & Cykert, Samuel & Ribisl, Kurt M., 2022. "Development and Validation of the Trust in My Doctor, Trust in Doctors in General, and Trust in the Health Care Team Scales," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    10. Riillo, Cesare Fabio Antonio & Sarracino, Francesco, 2014. "Motivations for Corporate Social Responsibility: all talk and no walk?," MPRA Paper 60211, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Richard Fabling & Steven Stillman & David C. Maré, 2011. "Immigration and Innovation," Working Papers 11_05, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    12. Ashley D. Ross & Abbey Hotard & Manoj Kamalanathan & Rayna Nolen & David Hala & Lauren A. Clay & Karl Kaiser & Antonietta Quigg, 2020. "Awareness Is Not Enough: Frequent Use of Water Pollution Information and Changes to Risky Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-17, October.
    13. Bogart, Laura M. & Wagner, Glenn J. & Green, Harold D. & Mutchler, Matt G. & Klein, David J. & McDavitt, Bryce & Lawrence, Sean J. & Hilliard, Charles L., 2016. "Medical mistrust among social network members may contribute to antiretroviral treatment nonadherence in African Americans living with HIV," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 133-140.
    14. Meldrum, James R. & Champ, Patricia A. & Bond, Craig A., 2013. "Heterogeneous nonmarket benefits of managing white pine bluster rust in high-elevation pine forests," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 61-77.
    15. Anna Kokkevi & Myrto Stavrou & Eleftheria Kanavou & Anastasios Fotiou & Clive Richardson, 2018. "Adolescents in Greece in Time of Economic Crisis," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(3), pages 945-962, June.
    16. Hisham S. El-Osta & Ashok K. Mishra & Mitchell J. Morehart, 2008. "Off-Farm Labor Participation Decisions of Married Farm Couples and the Role of Government Payments," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 30(2), pages 311-332.
    17. Allen Nnanwuba Adum & Ejike Mgbodu, 2023. "Vaxx Axe: Citizens’ Percerption of Governmental Prescribed Consequences for the Unvaccinated in Anambra State, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(11), pages 1488-1505, November.
    18. Millett, Lina Sapokaite & Seay, Kristen D. & Kohl, Patricia L., 2015. "A national study of intimate partner violence risk among female caregivers involved in the child welfare system: The role of nativity, acculturation, and legal status," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 60-69.
    19. Valentina Santarsiero & Antonio Lanorte & Gabriele Nolè & Giuseppe Cillis & Biagio Tucci & Beniamino Murgante, 2023. "Analysis of the Effect of Soil Erosion in Abandoned Agricultural Areas: The Case of NE Area of Basilicata Region (Southern Italy)," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, March.
    20. Carlos Arango & Dylan Hogg & Alyssa Lee, 2012. "Why Is Cash (Still) So Entrenched? Insights from the Bank of Canada’s 2009 Methods-of-Payment Survey," Discussion Papers 12-2, Bank of Canada.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:c76qh_v1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: OSF (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://arabixiv.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.