The Media Briefings of the MOHAP and its Communication Content to Raise Awareness of the Coronavirus

Open Access

Abstract

At the outbreak of disease and epidemics, governments and health-care organizations prepare emergency crisis management plans, developed based on information and guidance from the World Health Organization. These include preparedness, response and recovery strategies, media and public communication are an important component of their implementation. The concept of crisis communication implies that honest, candid, quick, accurate and full response to the crisis is one of the basic requirements of crisis management. The study aims to reveal the type of communication content presented by the media briefings of the MOHAP awareness of the Coronavirus and to curb its spread. The study adopted a curriculum for content analysis(quantitative and qualitative)of the periodic briefings organized by the Ministry over four months (March, April, May, June), starting from the first briefing held on Saturday, March 7, 2020 ended with the last regular briefing on Tuesday, June 27, 2020. The study found several results, the most important of which were: The MOHAP has been quick, organized and effective in its communication response; Periodic briefings were organized on the latest developments and figures regarding Coronavirus cases in the State, government actions and initiatives announced to curb the spread of COVID19. The study recommends that further studies be undertaken to implement the CERC Crisis and Risk Management Communications Model, in order to reveal the effectiveness of crisis communication applied by the bodies and organizations in the Arab region to manage crises and risks, both in communications and in the media.