Suffian Hadi Ayub, Nurul Hanani Omar, Raja Putri Nadiah Raja Ahmad, Khairudin Murad, Suhaimee Saahar@Saabar & *Shifa Faizal
Abstract:
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, rampant misinformation about the virus has created large-scale panic and uneasiness among the Malaysian public. In response to this threat, the Malaysian government launched public service announcements (PSAs) on COVID-19 in various media to increase public awareness and knowledge, specifically on recommended solutions. The messages in the PSAs were tailored to underscore the various phases of the pandemic to persuade public belief as well as nurture positive attitude and behavioural changes. The objectives of this study are: (1) to investigate the public’s information-seeking behaviours, (2) to investigate user perceptions and indicators of PSAs, and (3) to determine the effectiveness of PSAs as a communication platform to convey important information about the pandemic throughout the different Movement Control Order (MCO) phases.
Keywords: PSAs, health communication, media usage, information, digital storytelling