Media Messages and Perception of Risk for Ebola Virus Infection, United States

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2301.160589
• Publication Date: 2016-11-30T15:10:43Z
• Authors: Tara Kirk Sell; Crystal Boddie; Emma E. McGinty; Keshia Pollack; Katherine Clegg S...; Thomas A. Burke; Lainie Rutkow
• Keywords: Risk; Perceptual Distortion; R; Dispatch; communicable diseases; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola; Ebolavirus; decision making; United States; Disease Outbreaks; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Social Perception; disease outbreaks; Ebola; Ebola virus infection; Africa; Medicine; Humans; Mass Media; hemorrhagic fever

News media have been blamed for sensationalizing Ebola in the United States, causing unnecessary alarm. To investigate this issue, we analyzed US-focused news stories about Ebola virus disease during July 1-November 30, 2014. We found frequent use of risk-elevating messages, which may have contributed to increased public concern.