The Role of Media in Shaping Pandemic Response and Public Behavior: A Perspective from the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

In human history, outbreaks of infectious diseases have had a profound impact on society, and the global spread of COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to public health and social governance. In a mediatized society, the development of modern media technology has transformed the way information is disseminated, and the media are not only carriers of information but also deeply involved in social construction and system formation. Synthesizing conceptual and empirical literature on mediatization, pandemic communication, and public health governance, this review finds that viral transmission and information diffusion are intertwined, with the media and opinion leaders playing a key intermediary role in information dissemination. Mediatization operates at both the micro and macro levels, shaping the framing of pandemic prevention and control. Mediatized governance helps pandemic policies reach the public quickly and accurately and enables timely feedback, further shaping public opinion. Media practices have changed the modes of production and dissemination of health knowledge, bringing new challenges and opportunities, while the growing reliance on digital platforms has also introduced new risks such as data leakage. This review enriches the conceptual literature on information–disease co-transmission and outbreak prevention and control, and informs future pandemic prevention, control, and control practice.