Communicating the Pandemic: Improving Public Communication and Understanding
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of Media & Communication
Abstract
Good communication with all sections of the population is essential to managing the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. Our study will develop evidence-based recommendations to improve the communication of the pandemic by exploring how different groups receive, understand and act upon official information about COVID-19. We will conduct weekly online surveys with a representative sample of UK adults to capture public awareness and understanding of official messages, use of information sources, and relevant attitudes, values, experiences, and behaviour. Using statistical methods to analyse the survey data, we will identify differences among groups within the population and which combination of channels and messages are likely to be most appropriate for which group. To complement our survey research, a series of online discussions with groups will be carried out to explore their needs, the information barriers they might face, and how they might be communicated with effectively in more depth. Through this combination of methods, our study will provide the strongest possible evidence-based advice regarding the communication of the pandemic and the intelligibility and effectiveness of messages for different groups. Drawing on this evidence, we will deliver feasible recommendations to the appropriate bodies on how to improve public communication related to COVID-19.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Stephen Coleman (Principal Investigator) | |
| Giles Moss (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
De Liddo A
(2020)
Democratic Reflection
Moss G
(2023)
Communicating Solidarity? Public Responses to UK Government Communication of COVID-19
in Representation
| Description | Communicating information effectively to all parts of the population during the pandemic is challenging and needs to take account of the different experiences and perspectives that exist within the British population. As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, stated at a government press conference on 4 April 2020, 'The evidence does suggest that compliance does vary across different sections of the population that's why it's important that we reach them appropriately. It may be that some of the channels and methods that we've used have not reached some sections of the population'. The effectiveness of attempts to reach and persuade citizens to protect themselves and one another depends upon four crucial objectives: i. ensuring that clear and relevant information reaches people ii. ensuring that people can absorb and comprehend such information iii. ensuring that people are able to critically evaluate and ultimately trust what they are being told iv. ensuring that people are able and willing to comply with official guidance We have explored these aspects of public communication across ten waves of a nationally-representative survey, providing the largest UK dataset on longitudinal aspects of the public communication environment. Based on evidence from the first three waves of our survey, consisting of data from 3,111 UK adults aged 18+ in total, exploring the different experiences and attitudes of British citizens and the ways in which they shape responses to official advice, we identified the existence of six different population groups, characterised by differences in experience, attitude and behaviour. We describe these groups, in the following terms: • Individualist risk-takers (12% of the population) • Non-information-seeking sceptics (19% of the population) • Information-seeking rule-followers (21% of the population) • The complacently confident (19% of the population) • Information-seeking critics (16% of the population) • The experientially risk-averse (12% of the population) Our first report considered each group in terms of their values, attitudes and experiences; socio-demographic profile; approaches to information-seeking and media sources; capacity to make sense of messages; evaluation of messages; and compliance with official guidance. We argued that the relationship between these various factors tells a story that needs to be taken on board by the communication strategists who have been charged with disseminating messages about the pandemic. Our key message is that addressing he public as a homogeneous recipient of information and guidance relating to the pandemic are bound to fail. There is a need for a communication strategy in response to the current crisis that takes account of divergence between distinct population groups, while opening up space so that people holding particular perspectives can engage with others who have different attitudes and experiences. This will help to engender a clearer public sense of the civic principles underlying the national response to the pandemic. The second stage of our research, to be presented in a shortly forthcoming report, was to conduct 14 focus groups with a view to understanding the reasons for this segmental differentiation. The original design of this stage of research was to recruit participants in these focus groups on the basis of their segmental identities. |
| Exploitation Route | NHS Test and Trace (now the UK Health Security Agency) has been strongly influenced by our first report. We have presented our findings to several of their teams and they have now invited us to conduct further research which they will be funding. We will build on our existing segmentation model which splits the public into six key groups based on underlying values that shaped how they received, made sense of and acted upon official COVID-19 guidance. To protect the public from another spike in cases, and develop appropriate communication strategies for future health security challenges, we propose to develop the segmentation model with a view to better understanding groups of the population that are most likely to get ill from COVID-19 or spread the virus. This may include those unlikely to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate appropriately. A better socio-demographic and cultural understanding of these people will enable the NHS to develop a long-term proactive approach to tackling the spread of COVID-19 (and subsequent risks to public health). A broader aim of this new study will be to address wider health inequalities beyond the pandemic and improve health outcomes by reaching those at high risk of poor health outcomes. |
| Sectors | Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/directory_record/1512/communicating-the-pandemic-improving-public-communication-and-understanding |
| Description | NHS Test and Trace (now the UK Health Security Agency) has been strongly influenced by our first report. We have presented our findings to several of their teams and they have now invited us to conduct further research which they will be funding. We will build on our existing segmentation model which splits the public into six key groups based on underlying values that shaped how they received, made sense of and acted upon official COVID-19 guidance. To protect the public from another spike in cases, and develop appropriate communication strategies for future health security challenges, we propose to develop the segmentation model with a view to better understanding groups of the population that are most likely to get ill from COVID-19 or spread the virus. This may include those unlikely to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate appropriately. A better socio-demographic and cultural understanding of these people will enable the NHS to develop a long-term proactive approach to tackling the spread of COVID-19 (and subsequent risks to public health). A broader aim of this new study will be to address wider health inequalities beyond the pandemic and improve health outcomes by reaching those at high risk of poor health outcomes. We have designed and conducted a new segmentation survey and will be producing a segmentation and drivers' model very shortly. This will be used by UKHSA to design tailored messages for population segments. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Leeds-UKHSA |
| Organisation | Health Protection Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We have collaborated with the UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) to conduct a national segmentation study focusing upon health inequalities. The aim is to influence message design so that public health guidance can be tailored to specific groups within the population. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We designed the survey; contributed to the factor analysis and segmentation model design; and message design principles based on the segmentation model. |
| Impact | We have produced a segmentation model and we are publishing a paper in BMC - Public Health. UKHSA have acted upon our segmentation model in designing future pandemic communications strategy. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Working with polling company |
| Organisation | Savanta ComRes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We designed the questions for the 10-wave survey; determined the theoretical basis for the segmentation analysis; worked on the data analysis; and wrote the first project report, 'The Pandemic and its Publics'. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They recruited survey participants; helped us to recruit survey participants for subsequent focus-group research; administered the survey; and contributed to the statistical segmentation analysis. |
| Impact | We have produced a report based on the segmentation analysis. We are about to publish our second report, based on 14 focus groups. We have addressed NHS Test and Trace about our research and have been invited to conduct further research for them. |
| Start Year | 2020 |