Little Strokes Fell Big Oaks: How Repeated Recommendations for Suicide Reporting Drive the Quality of Suicide News in South Korea.

This study investigates how far repeated releases of recommendations for responsible reporting on suicide (RRS) are associated with changes in the quality of suicide reporting. A content analysis was conducted on suicide news articles (N = 606) by the Korean newspapers Hankyoreh Sinmun and Chosun Ilbo in four six-month periods from 2004 to 2019, which covered the periods before and after the releases of three versions of suicide reporting guidelines. Elements for RRS served as a proxy for the reporting quality, which includes both avoiding negative elements and providing positive ones. Not only the number of suicide news stories reduced by half in the last two observation periods, overall RRS scores and most individual RRS elements increased in the third period, compared to the first or second period. The avoidance RRS for headline, however, was not significantly improved. Korean news media also tended to be sensationalistic in using photos.

The Outrage Effect of Personal Stake, Effect on Children, Dread, and Controllability on COVID-19 Risk Perception Moderated by Media Use.

Public response to the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to study how lay people's risk perception involves their emotive responses. We investigated how outrage factors as emotional responses to risk influence levels of risk perception in the context of the pandemic disease. Furthermore, how media use influences the perception of outrage factors is also examined. A nationwide online survey (n = 1,000) was conducted in South Korea. The survey results indicated that pandemic risk perception was connected to the generic intensity of perceived outrage factors as measured by averaging the perception of multiple outrage factors. Individual outrage factors such as personal stake, effect on children, dread, and controllability directly influenced risk perception regarding COVID-19. When the intensity of media use was considered, individuals with heavy media use perceived outrage factors more intensely than those who used media less frequently. Media use also moderated the outrage effect of catastrophic potential and moral nature on the perception of risk associated with the pandemic disease. For heavy media users, the outrage effect of moral nature was increased, while that of catastrophic potential decreased. The implications of the outrage effect on the pandemic disease risk perception are addressed. Finally, we discuss the meaning of heavy media users' varying levels of vulnerability to outrage effect by moral nature and catastrophic potential.

How Do Recommended Elements in Suicide News Coverage Work? An Investigation of the Effect of Responsible Reporting and Readers' Reflectiveness on Suicide Prevention.

To examine the effect of positive elements in suicide reporting guidelines, we assessed how responsible reporting on suicide (RRS) affect cognitive and intentional responses. We also investigated the moderating role of audience reflectiveness in news processing. Here, 308 individuals participated in a single-factor between-subject experiment conducted in South Korea. We manipulated the number of positive RRS features in news articles by adding suicide statistics, contact information for helplines, and efficacy-enforcing information. Overall, news articles containing multiple RRS elements had a stronger impact on behavioral intentions to help others in a suicidal crisis than a basic news article without RRS elements. Interestingly, reflectiveness had a stronger influence on individuals who read a suicide news report having the most RRS elements relative to those who read suicide news without any RRS elements, signifying an indirect impact of suicide news on intentions to help. The implications of this RRS effect identified are discussed in terms of suicide prevention.

Comparing the Effect of Declarative vs. Procedural Knowledge on Health Behavior Moderated by Outrage Factors.

Knowledge's effect on behavioral responses in a health crisis has been a point of inquiry in many empirical studies that obtained significant findings. However, a variety of knowledge types has been considered in these studies rarely. This study compared the effect of declarative vs. procedural knowledge on behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we examined whether outrage factors, which refer to perceived risk characteristics that are likely to elicit emotional responses, can moderate cognitive knowledge's effect. Data were collected with a survey conducted five months after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in South Korea. A total of 1,000 respondents completed questions on the two types of knowledge, risk perception, and health behaviors in the pandemic crisis, and three different outrage factors. The results showed that procedural knowledge on how-to-do something was associated significantly with the health behaviors in the crisis, while the declarative knowledge that involves knowing that "something is the case" was not. Further, the outrage factors moderated knowledge's effect in such a way that procedural knowledge's influence on health behaviors diminished when the respondents perceived that the pandemic was uncontrollable. On the other hand, procedural knowledge's effect increased when the outrage factor of fairness was heightened. The implications are discussed in the context of studies of knowledge's effect and the outrage factors' moderation.

The Correlation Function of Communication in an Emotional Domain Observed in the Effect of Media on Embitterment.

The media correlation function has mainly been evaluated in cognitive domains from theoretical perspectives, such as agenda-setting, framing, or priming. Here we examined the correlation function in an emotional domain by investigating the association between media use and the degree of embitterment, which is a psychological symptom that originates from the accumulation of negative life experiences. A survey of 1,720 South Koreans revealed that those who had higher frequencies of media use felt a greater degree of embitterment. When different media types were examined, frequent use of print newspapers was associated with a level of embitterment from personal experiences, whereas heavy consumption of the internet and TV news was associated with embitterment from mediated reality. The implications of these findings are addressed in the context of both communication function and social epidemiology.

It's Politics, Isn't It? Investigating Direct and Indirect Influences of Political Orientation on Risk Perception of COVID-19.

Public response to the COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to study risk perception in relation to political orientation. We tested a risk perception model of how political orientation influences risk perception of an emerging infectious disease and how it moderates other influences. Two nationwide online surveys in South Korea (N = 2,000) revealed that conservatives showed a higher risk perception regarding an emerging infectious disease, and political orientation can even moderate the influence of perceived risk characteristics on risk perception such as how a liberal orientation exhibited a greater outrage effect of perceived unfairness on COVID-19 risk perception. Also, the frequency of media use is positively related to higher risk perception. The implications of the direct and moderating effects of political orientation are discussed in the context of the studies of political orientation as well as risk perception.

The Outrage Effect of Personal Stake, Dread, and Moral Nature on Fine Dust Risk Perception Moderated by Media Use.

Outrage factors are perceived characteristics of risk that provoke emotional responses and influence risk perception by individuals. We investigated outrage factors that are associated with risk perception regarding fine dust. A nationwide online survey (N = 1,000) measured the magnitude of 14 perceived outrage factors and media use in a South Korean population. As a result, the hypothetical three outrage factors of personal stake, dread, and moral nature were found to be influential. The risk perception increased when people perceived that the environmental hazard has personal implications or is associated with fearful images and irresponsible government/corporate actions. The risk perception was also heightened when fine dust was thought to cause large-scale damage to many people simultaneously. Those using news media frequently showed higher risk perception than those using it less frequently. However, heavy media users were affected to a lesser degree by the outrage effects voluntariness and effects on children. The implications of the direct and indirect outrage effect are discussed in light of risk perception studies.

Exploring News Media Epidemiology of "Embitterment": A Content Analysis of Korean News Coverage between 1990 and 2018.

Embitterment is a newly emerging mental problem that requires a social epidemiological approach. As this emotional state is varied in its manifestation and is pervasive in South Korea, we examined the embittered, those embittering, and causes of embitterment covered in news media in the nation. All news stories appearing between January 1, 1990 and August 31, 2018 in seven major daily newspapers in South Korea were searched for headlines containing "embitterment". A total of 321 news stories were identified for content analysis, which was conducted by two trained coders who examined each article to determine the identity of the embittered and embitters and the causes of and reponses from the embitterment. An inductive method was used to establish major levels for each variable. As a result, victims of disaster and accidents (and their families) were the most frequently embittered group, followed by politicians, laborers, persons of interest and the general public without specification. The three major causes of embitterment were: deprivation of basic life needs and rights, defamation/insult and abuse of power. Liberal newspapers published more "embitterment" stories, especially during conservative regimes. Since the periods of conservative regimes were longer than liberal regimes during the time under investigation, liberal newspapers published more "embitterment" stories than conservative newspapers. The patterns of coverage for the embittered, those embittering, and causes of embitterment also differed according to the political orientation of the newspaper. The implications of the findings from a social epidemiological approach and points requiring further study are discussed.

The Outrage Effect of Personal Stake, Familiarity, Effects on Children, and Fairness on Climate Change Risk Perception Moderated by Political Orientation.

Outrage factors are perceived characteristics of risk that provoke emotional responses and influence risk perception. Although several studies examined how multiple influences affect climate change risk perception, outrage factors have not been comprehensively assessed in the context of climate change risk perception. Using an online survey in South Korea (n = 592), we investigated outrage factors associated with climate change risk perception and whether political orientation moderates these outrage effects. We considered 11 of 20 outrage factors: voluntariness, controllability, familiarity, fairness, uncertainty, delayed effects, effects on children, trust, reversibility, personal stake, and human vs. natural origin. Factors that overlapped with the selected outrage factors or those that were not relevant to climate change were excluded. The survey revealed that the climate change risk perception of an individual increased when they perceived climate change to be relevant to their personal lives, when they felt unfamiliar with climate change, when they thought climate change would have a severe impact on children, or when they thought climate change would have unequal consequences. Moreover, respondents who identified as political conservatives were subject to a greater outrage effect of personal stake for climate change. The implications of the outrage effect on climate change risk perception and the greater vulnerability of conservatives to outrage effect are discussed.

Modeling embitterment dynamics: The influence of negative life events and social support mediated by belief in a just world.

BACKGROUND: Embitterment is an emotional state as a reaction to negative life events and is characterized as a nagging and burning feeling of being let down, insulted, or being a loser, and of being revengeful but helpless. There have been few studies concerning embitterment dynamics. This study aims to test a structural equation model for embitterment dynamics by examining likely factors that could have contributed to feelings of embitterment. METHODS: A total of 2024 South Koreans completed Post-Traumatic Embitterment Disorder Self-Rating Scale and Bern Embitterment Inventory, as well as the scales of belief in a just world (BJW), negative life events, and social support. RESULTS: Experiencing more negative life events was connected to a higher level of embitterment, whereas having more social supports decreased embitterment. As an indirect effect, BJW showed the most powerful influence on embitterment and BJW itself was reduced or increased either by negative life events or social support, respectively. LIMITATIONS: Although some significant influences on embitterment were examined, other aspects that include individual characteristics (self-efficacy, trust, political orientation, and media use) await examination. CONCLUSIONS: The level of embitterment was affected by BJW, social support, and negative life events, which suggests points of possible intervention.

The Effects of Social Determinants on Public Health Emergency Preparedness Mediated by Health Communication: The 2015 MERS Outbreak in South Korea.

The influence of social determinants and health communication on Public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) as well as the mediating effect of health communication were investigated with respect to the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea. Data were collected through a survey six months after the de facto end of the outbreak and a total of 855 subjects completed the surveys and were included in the analysis. The results suggested that the public's preventive (hand hygiene) and avoidance (avoiding hospitals even when sick) behaviors that were frequently practiced during the pandemic were influenced by their social determinants both direct and indirect pathways. Health communication such as information seeking and processing mediated the effect of social determinants on the behaviors and information seeking was found to have the most significant mediating effect on the relationship between the practice of both preventive and avoidance behaviors and social determinants such as education and age. The results of the present study will deepen our understanding of PHEP by identifying key factors that influence the public's behavioral responses as well as providing information to public health emergency management and health risk communication officials to implement strategies necessary in improving PHEP.

Comparing Outrage Effect on the Risk Perception of Climate Change versus Fine Dust.

Public evaluation of risk is influenced by the emotive response to perceived risk characteristics, namely outrage factors. We evaluated which outrage factors contribute to the public perception of two different environmental risks, climate change and fine dust. In particular, the outrage factors of controllability, familiarity, and delayed effect were assessed to determine if they are more salient and influential for climate change than fine dust. A nationwide online survey (N = 1,000) was conducted to measure nine outrage factors and risk perception for both risks in a South Korean population. Although both environmental risks were associated with a similar level of risk perception, catastrophic potential and personal stake were the highest scoring outrage factors for climate change and fine dust, respectively, and were also the strongest influence for the level of each risk perception. Familiarity was more salient for climate change than fine dust, and was influential only for climate change. Delayed effect was more salient for climate change, but was not influential for the perception of both risks. Controllability was more salient for fine dust but had no significant influence on both risk perceptions. Catastrophic potential, dread, personal stake, and trust were common influential outrage factors for both risks. We discuss the significance of an individualistic approach to evaluating outrage effects. In addition, the practical implications of comparing salient and influential outrage factors for both risks were addressed in terms of risk communication.

Developing a gist-extraction typology based on journalistic lead writing: A case of food risk news.

Risk communication is challenging since scientific knowledge is likely to be targeted to the public, which may have inadequate knowledge to understand jargons and expertise in risk messages. This study aims to construct a journalistic gist extraction typology, which can be useful for developing risk messages. Journalists' lead writing was conducted for 164 governmental press releases regarding food risks, and they were compared to factual information in original press releases. seven types of gist extraction were identified: 'exemplifying,' 'contextualizing,' 'grouping,' 'identifying likely victims,' 'emotional appeal,' 'separating verbatim,' and 'sense-making numbers.' The typology was valid with 92% of the total leads made by nine reporters being applicable to it. The content analysis revealed that 'exemplifying' was the most frequent gist extraction type, followed by 'contextualizing' and 'separating verbatim.'

A Comprehensive Examination of the Determinants for Food Risk Perception: Focusing on Psychometric Factors, Perceivers' Characteristics, and Media Use.

Risk characteristics within a psychometric paradigm have been of major concern in studies of food risk perception. This study compared the influence of psychometric factors, perceivers' characteristics (i.e., risk attitude, trust, and favorability of the country of origin), and that of the news media on the levels of food risk perception. The interaction of news media with the other two factors was also examined. A nationwide survey (n = 1,500) was conducted. The foods under investigation were Chinese processed foods and Japanese seafood imported to South Korea. In both cases, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that psychometric factors had the greatest influence on food risk perception, followed by perceivers' characteristics and media use. In addition, our results showed that the effect of perceived benefit and dread in Chinese food were salient only for those with little media use. The implication of the interaction effect on food risk perception is discussed in terms of accessibility and limited capacity of information processing.

Outrage Factors in Government Press Releases of Food Risk and Their Influence on News Media Coverage.

An appropriate level of risk perception should be a critical issue in modern "risk society." There have been many studies on the influences on risk perception. This study investigates whether risk communication scholar Dr. Peter Sandman's outrage factors intensify journalistic attention to health risks from food consumption. A content analysis of a health institution's press releases was conducted to examine 15 outrage factors of food risks conveyed in the governmental risk communication. In addition, the news stories covering the food risks informed by the press releases were calculated to evaluate the relation between outrage factors of a risk and the number of news stories covering the risk. Results showed that controllability was the most salient outrage factor, followed by trust, voluntariness, familiarity, and human origin; the greater the outrage score of a risk, the more news stories of the risk. For individual outrage factors, a risk with an implication of catastrophic potential was associated with an increase of news stories. Food providers' distrustful behaviors also influenced journalistic attention to the food risks. The implication of the findings to health message designers is discussed.

[News media's surveillance and gatekeeping in representing health risk].

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates whether Korean news media pay more attention to emerging diseases than chronic ones, and whether they closely follow the changes in the magnitude of health risks of chronic or well-known diseases. These two features are expected to appear as the result of surveillance function served by health journalism that should be the main source of the public's risk perception. METHODS: The number of stories published in 10 newspapers containing the words, 'SARS,' 'Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,' 'Avian Influenza,' and 'Influenza A virus' was compared with the number of stories on chronic or well-known diseases. We also counted the annual number of stories, published in a 12-year period, containing following terms: 'cancer,' 'diabetes,' 'hypertension,' 'pneumonia,' and 'tuberculosis.' The number was compared with the actual mortality of each disease. RESULTS: Although cancer represented the primary cause of mortality, the newspapers covered key emerging diseases more than cancer or other well-known diseases. Also, media coverage of 'pneumonia' and 'tuberculosis' did not vary in accordance with changes in the mortality of each disease. However, the news media coverage did vary in accordance with the mortality of 'cancer,' 'diabetes,' and 'hypertension.' CONCLUSIONS: Korean health journalism was found to have both strong and weak points. The news media reduced the relative level of attention given to pneumonia and tuberculosis. Bearing in mind the major influence of news coverage on risk perception, health professionals need to be more proactive about helping to improve Korean health journalism.