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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
An Exploratory Study Of Risk Experience And Personal Values On Support For Climate Change Policies, Cara Lawson, Kiera Dwyer, Laura Morgan Fischer, Lauren Chase
An Exploratory Study Of Risk Experience And Personal Values On Support For Climate Change Policies, Cara Lawson, Kiera Dwyer, Laura Morgan Fischer, Lauren Chase
Journal of Applied Communications
In 2020 Oregon suffered one of the worst wildfire seasons on record that included a higher percentage of burned forest area, the destruction of residential areas, and significant risk to human health. The level of wildfire intensity was largely attributed as an effect of climate change, and future Oregon wildfire seasons are predicted to grow in intensity, acreage burned, and total duration. Public policy can be a tool to help to mitigate the effects of climate change, but successful policy implementation relies on public support. Therefore, this study sought to explore two factors that may influence support for climate change …
Minnesota State Parks And Trails’ Use Of Facebook To Communicate Health And Safety Information During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Garrett M. Steede, Sahil S. Kamat
Minnesota State Parks And Trails’ Use Of Facebook To Communicate Health And Safety Information During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Garrett M. Steede, Sahil S. Kamat
Journal of Applied Communications
During the COVID-19 pandemic, state park visitation increased to levels above previous years. While navigating the pandemic, natural resource communicators took to social media to communicate about how COVID-19 was impacting park services and operations. We examined how the Minnesota State Parks and Trails (MSPT) engaged in health communication using Facebook over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used quantitative content analysis to measure content and engagement on the N = 105 posts made by the MSPT from 2020 - 2022 regarding COVID-19. Results provide an understanding as to how natural resource communicators engaged in health communication …
What Now: The Role Of Attitude And Communicative Actions When Making Decisions During A Disease Crisis, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Lauri Baker, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky Telg
What Now: The Role Of Attitude And Communicative Actions When Making Decisions During A Disease Crisis, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Lauri Baker, Angela B. Lindsey, Lisa K. Lundy, Ricky Telg
Journal of Applied Communications
During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations often communicate about a risk to encourage people to take particular protective actions, and the decision-making process about protective actions can be especially complex. It is important to determine how organizations can encourage specific behaviors and, as such, this study sought to investigate how attitudes and communicative actions influenced behavior related to recommendations from the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the purpose of this study, an online quantitative survey was distributed to United States residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from this study reveal that attitude and transmission and …
External Perceptions Of The Oklahoma Youth Expo's March 2020 Covid-19 Response, Bree Rosman, Quisto Settle, Nathan Smith, Morgan Pfeiffer
External Perceptions Of The Oklahoma Youth Expo's March 2020 Covid-19 Response, Bree Rosman, Quisto Settle, Nathan Smith, Morgan Pfeiffer
Journal of Applied Communications
Livestock shows are a prevalent part of youth agricultural programs in the United States, but they are not well understood, particularly in terms of risk and crisis communication. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this study evaluated the perceptions of Oklahoma agricultural education instructors, Extension agents, and parents of youth exhibiting at the 2020 Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the stock show to cancel in the middle of its schedule. The study evaluated perceptions of the event through the lens of crisis communication as it relates to brand reputation and crisis management. The study was guided …
The Steaks Are High: Covid-19’S Impact On Direct-To-Consumer Marketing In The Oklahoma Beef Industry, Linnea Langusch, Dwayne Cartmell, Quisto Settle
The Steaks Are High: Covid-19’S Impact On Direct-To-Consumer Marketing In The Oklahoma Beef Industry, Linnea Langusch, Dwayne Cartmell, Quisto Settle
Journal of Applied Communications
The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged some beef producers to market their products directly to consumers. For many consumers the idea of buying beef products from local sources is appealing. Relationship management theory framed this study, as beef producers used relationship building as a path to product promotion. This study explored Oklahoma beef producers’ perceptions of changes that have occurred in direct-to-consumer marketing and consumer communications in the beef industry during the COVID-19 pandemic using semi-structured interviews. This study consisted of 16 participants found via snowball sampling. Participants were Oklahoma cattle ranchers over 18 years old who used one or more channels …
A Culture Of Fire: Identifying Community Risk Perceptions Surrounding Prescribed Burning In The Flint Hills, Kansas, Zoey Rosen, Giovanna Henery, Kellin D. Slater, Olivia Sablan, Bonne Ford, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Emily V. Fischer, S. L. Magzamen
A Culture Of Fire: Identifying Community Risk Perceptions Surrounding Prescribed Burning In The Flint Hills, Kansas, Zoey Rosen, Giovanna Henery, Kellin D. Slater, Olivia Sablan, Bonne Ford, Jeffrey R. Pierce, Emily V. Fischer, S. L. Magzamen
Journal of Applied Communications
In the Flint Hills region of eastern Kansas, there is a long tradition of spring prescribed burns. However, air quality concerns in downwind communities have sparked conversation regarding the environmental and social impacts of these burns. This study aimed to identify the risk perceptions associated with prescribed burns using two theoretical frameworks: the social amplification of risk framework and the protective action decision model. In April 2022, we conducted 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Flint Hills community members from different social stations. Participants identified several benefits of prescribed burns: cattle production gains, invasive species management, prairie ecological health maintenance, and …
Examining The Impact Of Disaster Experience With Winter Storm Uri And Climate Change Risk Perceptions On Support For Mitigation Policy, Ginger Orton, Laura Morgan Fischer, Cara Lawson
Examining The Impact Of Disaster Experience With Winter Storm Uri And Climate Change Risk Perceptions On Support For Mitigation Policy, Ginger Orton, Laura Morgan Fischer, Cara Lawson
Journal of Applied Communications
In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri swept across the central and eastern United States bringing extreme cold, widespread power outages, and rolling blackouts throughout Texas. This storm prompted climate change to emerge as a major topic of controversy and conversation with scientists and the public alike, and many began to think about the impacts of climate change. Risk communication experts have suggested prior disaster experience is a key mechanism of understanding how risk perceptions are shaped, and ultimately, on how individuals arrive at a judgment, evaluation, or attitude toward information and situations. Drawing from risk communication scholars, we examined the …
Rural Redemption: A Model To Help Understand The Perspectives Of Rural Americans Related To Vaccine Science, Lauri Baker, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Chen-Xian Yang, Audrey E. H. King, Shelby Thomas, Kristina Boone
Rural Redemption: A Model To Help Understand The Perspectives Of Rural Americans Related To Vaccine Science, Lauri Baker, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Chen-Xian Yang, Audrey E. H. King, Shelby Thomas, Kristina Boone
Journal of Applied Communications
Rural communities are vital to the foundation of American agriculture and are currently disproportionately affected by health and environmental challenges that will require broad scientific solutions. Cooperative Extension professionals and agricultural communicators are increasingly tasked with communicating about the science surrounding these topics and need effective tools for determining strategic communication tactics to influence personal behaviors. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of community-based social marketing (CBSM) concepts and trust in science on rural Americans’ intentions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. A hypothesized model was developed that included concepts of CBSM, trust in science, intentions, …
Show Me And What Will I Remember? Exploring Recall In Response To Nws Tornado Warning Graphics, Laura Morgan Fischer, Ginger Orton, Jeannette Sutton, Madison Wallace
Show Me And What Will I Remember? Exploring Recall In Response To Nws Tornado Warning Graphics, Laura Morgan Fischer, Ginger Orton, Jeannette Sutton, Madison Wallace
Journal of Applied Communications
It is critical that organizations deliver timely, effective communication about potential risks and life-saving information. The National Weather Service (NWS) developed a suite of messages known as “experimental graphic products” to be automatically distributed through their local official Twitter accounts at the onset of fast-moving, severe weather events such as tornadoes. However, recent research has suggested messages need to be carefully constructed for audiences to place attention to the content, remember the content, and later act in response to the content. The purpose of this study is to explore what people recall of the NWS Twitter message. We used an …
Framing Friction: A Content Analysis Investigating How The Cdc Framed Social Media Communication With The Public During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michaela Kandzer, Valentina Castano, Lauri M. Baker, Ashley Mcleod-Morin
Framing Friction: A Content Analysis Investigating How The Cdc Framed Social Media Communication With The Public During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michaela Kandzer, Valentina Castano, Lauri M. Baker, Ashley Mcleod-Morin
Journal of Applied Communications
The novel coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019. This zoonotic disease quickly spread through over 100 countries, including the U.S. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency by the end of January 2020. Soon after, many U.S. states issued mandatory stay-at-home orders, which caused adverse effects for agricultural businesses and food supply chains. During this crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared information through social media platforms such as Facebook. This study sought to understand how the CDC framed direct communication to the public about issues related to COVID-19 using …
U.S. Geographic Differences In Media Source Use During Covid-19 Shelter In Place Orders, Allison R. Fortner, Kristin Gibson, Alexa Lamm
U.S. Geographic Differences In Media Source Use During Covid-19 Shelter In Place Orders, Allison R. Fortner, Kristin Gibson, Alexa Lamm
Journal of Applied Communications
United States news access patterns may have influenced distribution of misinformation in the COVID-19 infodemic, emphasizing the necessity of targeted communication to increase health literacy during a crisis. This study used sense-making theory to explore information-seeking behaviors of U.S. residents during COVID-19 shelter in place orders. This purpose of this study was to identify media outlets used by U.S. residents to access COVID-19 information and determine if access differed according to geographic region. A representative survey of U.S. residents aged 18 or older (N = 1,048) revealed the mainstream media outlets used most were domestic government-based sources. Northeastern …
Emotion And Virality Of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages On Social Media, Xiaojing (Romy) Wang, Xiaoli Nan, Samantha J. Stanley, Yuan Wang, Leah Waks, David Broniatowski
Emotion And Virality Of Food Safety Risk Communication Messages On Social Media, Xiaojing (Romy) Wang, Xiaoli Nan, Samantha J. Stanley, Yuan Wang, Leah Waks, David Broniatowski
Journal of Applied Communications
This study investigates how the emotional tone of food safety risk communication messages predicts message virality on social media. Through a professional Internet content tracking service, we gathered news articles written about the 2018 romaine lettuce recall published online between October 30th and November 29th, 2018. We retrieved the number of times each article was shared on Twitter and Pinterest, and the number of engagements (shares, likes, and comments) for each article on Facebook and Reddit. We randomly selected 10% of the articles (n = 377) and characterized the emotional tone of each article using machine learning, …
Crisis Communications In A Natural Agricultural Disaster, Erica Irlbeck, Austin Moore
Crisis Communications In A Natural Agricultural Disaster, Erica Irlbeck, Austin Moore
Journal of Applied Communications
Wildfires in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas in the late 2010s caused seven deaths and catastrophic damage to millions of acres of ranch and farmland. Because of the rural location of these disasters, agricultural communicators were releasing information to media, internal stakeholders, social media, and other agricultural audiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the communications efforts made and subsequent lessons learned from agricultural communicators during the fires. Through a qualitative case study, researchers interviewed 14 agricultural communicators about their experiences in disseminating information about the fires. Most of the findings align with pre-existing literature; however the researchers found …
Catastrophe And Environmental Restoration: Analyzing The Frames And Sources Of Oyster Restoration News Stories, Hannah O. Brown, Susan K. Jacobson, Glenn Israel
Catastrophe And Environmental Restoration: Analyzing The Frames And Sources Of Oyster Restoration News Stories, Hannah O. Brown, Susan K. Jacobson, Glenn Israel
Journal of Applied Communications
Restoration of oyster habitats is a critical solution to halt the decline of one of the world’s most threatened resources. News coverage about environmental topics, like oyster restoration, is important to local communities that are directly impacted. However, little research has assessed how restoration topics are framed by journalists, nor how environmental disasters may affect framing of news stories for the public. This study employed a longitudinal framing analysis, using the quantity of coverage and social responsibility theories, to examine how coverage of the restoration of oyster ecosystems shifted before, during, and after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The …
Instructional Crisis Communication For An Industry: Model And Anti-Model Biosecurity Standards For The Prevention And Control Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Ronisha J. Sheppard, Timothy L. Sellnow, Deanna D. Sellnow, Adam J. Parrish, Jeffrey D. Brand
Instructional Crisis Communication For An Industry: Model And Anti-Model Biosecurity Standards For The Prevention And Control Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Ronisha J. Sheppard, Timothy L. Sellnow, Deanna D. Sellnow, Adam J. Parrish, Jeffrey D. Brand
Journal of Applied Communications
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a global disease that is increasing in both frequency and intensity in North America. Recent outbreaks of HPAI in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana resulted in the cumulative loss of millions of birds and over a billion dollars for poultry farmers. This study examined the instructional communication used by state and national responders to promote effective biosecurity intended to limit the spread and impact of HPAI in the three recent outbreaks in the United States. Specifically, the researchers asked, what biosecurity strategies serve as an instructional model for an effective crisis response, and, conversely, what …
Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg
Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg
Journal of Applied Communications
Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle as a category five hurricane on October 10, 2018. One of the risks after a hurricane is the spread of mosquito-borne disease due to standing floodwaters, which provide perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People often turn to social media during times of crisis to receive up-to-date information. Therefore, there is a need to understand how to use social media to communicate about risks after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to explore how Twitter was used to communicate about mosquito control before and after Hurricane Michael and was guided by the …
Utilizing Extension As A Resource In Disaster Response: Florida Extension’S Communication Efforts During The 2017 Hurricane Season, Moses R. Mike, Shelli D. Rampold, Ricky W. Telg, Angela B. Lindsey
Utilizing Extension As A Resource In Disaster Response: Florida Extension’S Communication Efforts During The 2017 Hurricane Season, Moses R. Mike, Shelli D. Rampold, Ricky W. Telg, Angela B. Lindsey
Journal of Applied Communications
Crisis communication plays a significant role for the different audiences for which it is designed. Hurricanes and other disasters have resulted in major economic damage and disruption of social norms for extended periods of time in communities across the globe. In such circumstances, the Cooperative Extension Service is often called to take an active role in preparation, response, and recovery. As part of the local emergency management team, local Extension offices are positioned to provide a research base, relevant information, and faculty. As such, citizens often look to Extension faculty members for emergency resources and expertise. However, standard communication methods …
An Investigation Of Agricultural Crisis Communications Via Social Media, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck, Courtney Meyers, Cindy Akers, Peggy Price
An Investigation Of Agricultural Crisis Communications Via Social Media, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck, Courtney Meyers, Cindy Akers, Peggy Price
Journal of Applied Communications
How an agricultural organization handles the way the media reports a crisis can have an impact on the public’s perceptions of the organization, and sometimes the industry as a whole. The popularity of social media outlets as a venue for disseminating and gathering information and news makes the use of social media surrounding agricultural crises an important topic to investigate (Glynn, Huge, & Hoffman 2012; Hermida, 2010). A qualitative case study was conducted to investigate the use of social media tools during an agricultural crisis. The participants – communications directors, social media managers, and individuals with a close connection to …
A Comparative Content Analysis Of News Stories And Press Releases During The 2015 Blue Bell Ice Cream Recall, Brandyl Brooks Calley, Courtney Meyers, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck
A Comparative Content Analysis Of News Stories And Press Releases During The 2015 Blue Bell Ice Cream Recall, Brandyl Brooks Calley, Courtney Meyers, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck
Journal of Applied Communications
In 2015, Blue Bell Creameries had its first recall in the company’s history. Blue Bell issued a voluntary recall of all of its ice cream products after Listeria was detected and was linked to 10 illnesses that resulted in three deaths. With the theoretical framework of framing and Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the purpose of this study was to explore how this recall was presented in company press releases and news media coverage to determine what crisis communication strategies Blue Bell implemented and how the media presented that information. This study was a content analysis of 23 press releases from …
Blue Bell's Facebook Posts And Responses During The 2015 Listeria Crisis: A Case Study, Kelsi Opat, Haley Magness, Erica Irlbeck
Blue Bell's Facebook Posts And Responses During The 2015 Listeria Crisis: A Case Study, Kelsi Opat, Haley Magness, Erica Irlbeck
Journal of Applied Communications
Blue Bell Creameries faced an unprecedented situation when it pulled all of its products during a Listeria outbreak in 2015. Despite a very public crisis that resulted in three deaths, Blue Bell survived the disaster and maintained a large and loyal customer base. A content analysis of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Facebook page was conducted to evaluate Blue Bell’s public communications, and its followers’ public reactions to the Facebook communication during the crisis. Results indicated that Blue Bell primarily posted messages that included recall and restocking information, thankfulness to stakeholders, and details about improvements to food safety during the …