The H1N1 crisis: Roles played by government communicators, the public and the media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/jpc.v1i1.88Keywords:
Health Communication, Ontario Government, Content Analysis, Ontario Ministry of Health, SARS, H1N1, Crisis Communication, Agenda Setting, Public Opinion, Public Agenda, Policy Agenda, Media Agenda,Abstract
The paper examines the communications that occurred between the news media, the general public and the government during the 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus from a crisis communications perspective, focusing on events in Ontario, Canada. In crisis communications theory and practice, the analysis borrows from second-level agenda-setting literature, which suggests that an issue’s attributes can affect the perceived level of salience among both the media and the public. The analysis combined a review of government crisis communications planning, a content analysis of radio, television and print news coverage of H1N1, and opinion polling and other data indicating the public’s level of awareness and concern over H1N1.
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