The effect of spokesperson attribution on public health message sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic

It is urgent to understand how to effectively communicate public health messages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous work has focused on how to formulate messages in terms of style and content, rather than on who should send them. In particular, little is known about the impact of spokesperson selection on message propagation during times of crisis. We report on the effectiveness of different public figures at promoting social distancing among 12,194 respondents from six countries that were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of data collection. Across countries and demographic strata, immunology expert Dr. Anthony Fauci achieved the highest level of respondents’ willingness to reshare a call to social distancing, followed by a government spokesperson. Celebrity spokespersons were least effective. The likelihood of message resharing increased with age and when respondents expressed positive sentiments towards the spokesperson. These results contribute to the development of evidence-based knowledge regarding the effectiveness of prominent official and non-official public figures in communicating public health messaging in times of crisis. Our findings serve as a reminder that scientific experts and governments should not underestimate their power to inform and persuade in times of crisis and underscore the crucial importance of selecting the most effective messenger in propagating messages of lifesaving information during a pandemic.


Endorsement of social and physical distancing measures
We surveyed nine measures: (i) Self-isolation / staying at home, (ii) Quarantine zones that no-one can enter or leave, (iii) Closing international borders, (iv) Not meeting friends and family, (v) Keeping physical distance (2m / 6ft) at all times, (vi) Closing schools, universities, daycares and non-essential businesses, (vii) Shutting down flights and public transportation, (viii) Canceling events and public gatherings, and (ix) Not going to your place of work. Response reliability to the nine measures was good (Cronbach's α = 0.81).
At the spokesperson level (Fig. S1)

Q1
How worried are you about the COVID-19 situation in <country> right now? (1) I am not worried (7) I am extremely worried

Q2
Please share your opinion about the response of the <country adj.> government and of the <country adj.> population to COVID-19.

Text input
In an effort to avoid spreading COVID-19, a commonly given instruction is to practice SOCIAL DISTANCING, that is, to deliberately stay away from other people by at least 2 meters (6 feet).
Examples of social distancing are -canceling sports events, cruises, festivals and other gatherings, -working from home instead of at the office, -closing schools and universities or switching to online classes, -visiting loved ones by electronic devices instead of in person, -canceling or postponing conferences and large meetings.
<image of speaker / no image> Social distancing has been publicly supported, among others, by <speaker>.

Q3
How likely is it that you would share this message by <speaker> on your own social media?

Q4
Were you aware of the instruction to practice social distancing?

Q5
To what degree do you support social distancing as a valid measure in the current situation?
(1) I don't support it (7) I fully support it

Q6
Given the current situation, which measures of social distancing do you find appropriate? (Please select all that apply) * Self-isolation / staying at home * Quarantine zones that no-one can enter or leave * Closing international borders * Not meeting friends and family * Keeping physical distance (2m / 6ft) at all times * Closing schools, universities, daycares and non-essential businesses * Shutting down flights and public transportation * Canceling events and public gatherings * Not going to your place of work

Q7
To what degree are you currently practicing social distancing?
(1) Not at all (7) All the time

Q8
To what degree do you think others are currently practicing social distancing?
(1) Not at all (7) All the time

Q9
To what degree do you see yourself practicing social distancing in the weeks to come?
(1) Not at all (7) All the time Q10 How do you feel about <speaker>? * I like <speaker> * I neither like nor dislike <speaker> * I dislike <speaker> * (I don't know <speaker>) Q11 What is your personal estimate of the percentage of people in your place of residence (city/town/village) who are actually already infected by coronavirus? (Give your best personal guess of the percentage of *actually* infected people (tested + untested), not the official statistics of people who tested positive.) 0-9% 10-19% ...

90-100%
Q12 How concerned are you for the well-being of your fellow citizens at the current time?
(1) Not at all (7) Very concerned Q13 How would you rate your overall health in the last 30 days? Very good Good Average Bad Very bad Considering the current situation in <country>, please state the level to which you agree with the following statements.
Q14 "I feel free to move around and travel wherever I need to in order to go about my daily life, to attend appointments or to visit family or friends." (1) Disagree strongly (7) Agree strongly Q15 "I am satisfied with the <country adj.> government's effort and preparedness to fight COVID-19." (1) Disagree strongly (7) Agree strongly Q16 "I think the <country adj.> government cares more about public health than about the economy." (1) Disagree strongly (7) Agree strongly Please share some details about yourself.