Effects of perceived sensationalism and susceptibility to the disease on cognitive and emotional third-person perceptions of the MERS News Coverage |
Joon Soo Lim1, Jiyoung Lee2, Sonho Kim3, Jeongheon JC Chang4 |
1Department of Public Relations, S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University 2S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University 3Korea Press Foundation 4Department of Health & Strategic Communication, CHA University |
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Abstract |
This study takes a deeper look into the third-person perception (TPP), dividing it into the cognitive and emotional domains in the context of news on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Using survey data from a representative sample of 1,053 South Koreans, we conceptualized cognitive and emotional third-person perceptions, respectively. The exposure to MERS news through mainstream media had a positive impact on both cognitive and emotional TPPs, whereas the exposure through social media negatively influenced both subsets of the TPP. Perceived sensationalism of MERS news widened the perceptual gap of the influence of MERS news on oneself and others in cognitive and emotional domains, whereas susceptibility to MERS yielded the reverse TPP in both cognitive and emotional domains. |
Key Words:
Emerging Infectious Diseases, Third-person Effect, Emotional Third-person Perception, Sensationalism, Susceptibility |
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