CRISIS RISK COMMUNICATION OF COVID-19: THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

Abstract

There is growing concern that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will trigger new tensions in Africa’s gender and behaviour spheres; this concern has expedite the call on the media to focus on crisis risk communication during the Coronavirus pandemic. This study identified risk communication with health promotion by focusing on crisis risk communication. The study recognized crisis risk communication as a way to curb the spread of Coronavirus pandemics. It concentrated on how communication can be used as persuasive messages and campaigns to change the general public’s health behaviour. Priming Theory and Theory of Planned Behaviour were utilised to argue that consistence showcasing of safety tips will bring about a change in people’s behaviour and invariably reduce/curb the spread of COVID-19. A systematic review (SR) of research studies was conducted, using systematic and explicit method. Findings from the review revealed that media, especially social media play critically role in curbing the spread of Coronavirus. The study concluded that crisis risk communication is an important step to strengthening the application of behavioural science to epidemiology control, which will in turn contribute to changing individual behaviour and control of Coronavirus. The study recommends the need for every stakeholders to indulge in the use of social media in communicating Coronavirus crisis to the public to achieve behavioural epidemiology control.