Two online surveys were conducted in China, with the first survey (Time1, N = 22,718) being at the early stage of the pandemic outbreak and the second one (Time 2, N = 2,901) two and a half years later during the zero-COVID policy lockdown period. Key measured variables include trust in official media and social media, perceived rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19-related information, perceived safety, and emotional responses toward the pandemic. Data analysis includes descriptive statistical analysis, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlations, and structural equation modeling.
Trust in official media, perceived rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19-related information, perceived safety, as well as positive emotional response toward COVID-19 increased over time, while trust in social media and depressive response decreased over time. Trust in social media and official media played different roles in affecting public\'s wellbeing over time. Trust in social media was positively associated with depressive emotions and negatively associated with positive emotion directly and indirectly through decreased perceived safety at Time 1. However, the negative effect of trust in social media on public\'s wellbeing was largely decreased at Time 2. In contrast, trust in official media was linked to reduced depressive response and increased positive response directly and indirectly through perceived safety at both times. Rapid dissemination and transparency of COVID-19 information contributed to enhanced trust in official media at both times.
The findings highlight the important role of fostering public trust in official media through rapid dissemination and transparency of information in mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 infodemic on public\'s wellbeing over time.
■在中国进行了两次在线调查,第一次调查(时间1,N=22,718)是在大流行爆发的早期,第二次调查(时间2,N=2,901)是在两年半后的零COVID政策封锁期。关键测量变量包括对官方媒体和社交媒体的信任,感知到COVID-19相关信息的快速传播和透明度,感知的安全性,和对大流行的情绪反应。数据分析包括描述性统计分析,独立样本t检验,皮尔逊相关性,和结构方程建模。
■对官方媒体的信任,感知到COVID-19相关信息的快速传播和透明度,感知的安全性,以及对COVID-19的积极情绪反应随着时间的推移而增加,而对社交媒体的信任和抑郁反应随着时间的推移而下降。随着时间的推移,对社交媒体和官方媒体的信任在影响公众福祉方面发挥了不同的作用。对社交媒体的信任与抑郁情绪呈正相关,而通过在时间1时感知到的安全性降低,直接或间接地与积极情绪呈负相关。然而,在时间2,对社交媒体的信任对公众福祉的负面影响在很大程度上有所下降。相比之下,对官方媒体的信任与减少抑郁反应有关,并通过两种时间感知的安全性直接和间接增加积极反应。COVID-19信息的快速传播和透明度有助于在这两种情况下增强对官方媒体的信任。
研究结果强调了通过快速传播和信息透明度来增强公众对官方媒体的信任,在减轻COVID-19信息流行对公众福祉的负面影响方面发挥着重要作用。