The Role of Mass Media Interventions on Promoting Public Health Knowledge and Behavioral Social Change Against COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan

Abstract

This study has attempted to determine the role of mass s media interventions on promoting public health knowledge and behavioral social change against COVID-19 pandemic disease in Jordan. Based on communication theory and literature review in health communication, the study develops and examines four major hypotheses that link mass media channels, preferred message types and the senders of preferred message sources, the level of public health knowledge and behavioral social change against Corona virus pandemic disease in Jordan—based on demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, and territory location). To carry out this study; an online questionnaire was prepared and conducted in Jordan and a number of 2,555 social media platforms participants were reached. Content analysis method was mainly deployed for data analysis. The findings showed significant relationships between the preferred type of mass media channels (R =.47), preferred message types (R =.58), and preferred message sources (R =.56) and the level of public health knowledge and behavioral social change against COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan. The study also found that the preferred mass media channels, message types, and message sources differ among the respondents’ demographic characteristics (gender, age, and education). In contrast, no differences found attributed to territory locations.