Comparative analysis of health authorities’ spokespersons and health influencers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: Concerns over an infodemic following a surge in health misinformation circulating on social media set out the government's priority for Indonesia. Given the urgent work on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, the government collaborated with health-related spokespersons and influencers with a medical background by starting a COVID-19 public education campaign on social media. A collaborative initiative involved health spokespersons from government and non-government to clarify misinformation about COVID-19. Methods: The primary purpose of this research is to compare government and non-government spokespersons by examining their roles in educating about COVID-19 vaccines and health services. This study employed comparative factor analysis and non-participatory observation toward the media activity of spokespersons in Indonesia. Using a questionnaire, this study examined the dimensions of public campaigns, risk communication, health and emergency, leadership and communication from Indonesian spokespersons. The data collection was conducted in two stages: a pilot study involving 102 respondents and the actual study involving 276 respondents. Results: Findings show that utilizing spokespersons is important due to its capabilities of reaching diverse audiences and improving public engagement, trustworthiness, and credibility. Conclusions: Combining health authorities’ spokespersons and health influencers in Indonesia, this study provides valuable insights for communication management in developing and supporting the role of health authorities from the government, non-government as well as medical sectors.