Myiah Hutchens, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Public Relations assistant professor, commented in “Gov. Ivey Has Been Quiet on COVID-19. Does it Matter?” broadcast June 22 on WBHM-FM, the University of Alabama at Birmingham NPR affiliate.

The story featured the Alabama governor’s lack of communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Hutchens, changing a person’s behavior depends a lot on trust. Part of it is trust in people close by. For instance, if a person’s friends start wearing masks, he or she is more likely to wear one as well. Another part is trust in other voices.

“So, if you’re a liberal and you see Fox News saying something, that’s not really going to impact you,” Hutchens said. “But if you’re a conservative and you see Fox News saying something, then that does tend to have an impact on you.”

Hutchens adds that partisanship around a public health issue can complicate things. She referenced a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation that found Democrats are almost twice as likely to say they wear a mask every time they leave the house compared to Republicans. So, a governor’s power to persuade people depends much on how those that are listening feel about him or her.

She said that behavior change can happen relatively quickly with non-partisan issues and pointed to a time when states passed indoor smoking bans to reduce the threat of second-hand smoke.

“It wasn’t about protecting yourself, but it was about protecting others,” Hutchens said. “If we can talk about it that way, I think that has the potential for us to see some movement.”

“A way to cut through some of the politics is with a consistent message from a wide range of people. That way no matter whether it’s from University of Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban, Auburn University Football Coach Gus Malzahn or Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, the message is the same,” she said.

Posted: June 22, 2020
Category: College News, Trust News
Tagged as: Myiah Hutchens