Abstract

The CoviD-19 is causing incessant disruption to the social and economic lives of societies. Misinformation, fake news about the virus and pandemic is considered a major challenge combating the containment of the disease. Misinformation is widely understood as misleading content produced to generate profits, pursue political goals or maliciously deceive. Communication has been positioned as a key variable in international dynamics due to the call for a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO). The researcher believed that information, public relations and effective communication are effective interventions to counter the spread of health related disinformation, fake news, misinformation concerning CoviD-19. The study was anchored on Public Relations Transfer Model and Health Belief Model. Library research method was adopted as materials were gathered from books, journals, newspapers, magazines and online materials. The findings show that information, Public Relations, effective Communication has a great role to play in the management of CoviD-19. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended among others that several channels of communication be opened to deal with issues and concerns of disinformation, fake news and misinformation concerning health related matters such as CoviD-19.

Key Words: CoviD-19, Public Relations, Disinformation, Fake news, Misinformation, Effective Communication, New World Information Order, Health Belief Model.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 14, No. 1, Special Issue 2, June 2022, pp. 64-71

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the author

*Ngozi Comfort Omojunikanbi, Ph.D. is of the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Article Citation

Omojunikanbi, N. C. (2022). Public relations and effective communication during a global health crisis: Combating disinformation, misinformation, and fake news on Covid-19. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 14 (1, SP. 2): 64-71.

Full Article

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