Medium and source convergence in crisis information acquisition: Patterns, antecedents, and outcomes

Abstract

To understand how individuals navigate the complex, dynamic, and bewildering media information environment, we propose a convergence framework theorizing individuals’ acquisition of information from distinct sources on multiple mediums, along with its antecedents and consequences. This study is among the first to test the convergence framework. Using a national sample during the COVID-19 pandemic, our results revealed four convergence patterns and key antecedents and outcomes of these patterns. Individuals’ information verification tendency, perceived medium anonymity, and trust in alternative sources were associated with distinct patterns of convergence, which led to different risk perceptions. Future research should explore different forms of convergence and additional antecedents and outcomes of convergence.