Digital Health Communication During the Pandemic: A Strategic Analysis of the COVID-19 Public Service Announcements by the Turkish Ministry of Health

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 77 - 106, 25.01.2025

Emre Meriç

Abstract

Health communication is a strategic communication process aimed at raising awareness of health threats and promoting changes in attitudes and behaviors. **Public service announcements (PSAs) are effective tools frequently used in health communication to reach a wide audience. PSAs are critical in protecting public health and raising awareness, particularly during crises. This study aims to examine the COVID-19-themed PSAs published by the Turkish Ministry of Health during the pandemic from a health communication perspective. The research analyzed 173 videos published under “Pandemic PSAs” on the Ministry’s YouTube platform, rather than the limited PSAs available on the COVID-19 Information Platform. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative content analysis, the PSAs were systematically evaluated based on categories such as type, theme, target audience, spokesperson usage, message appeals, and message frames. The findings reveal that the PSAs largely focused on individual responsibility, delivering messages emphasizing protective behaviors such as mask usage, social distancing, and hygiene. Animations, healthcare professionals, and celebrities were frequently used as spokespersons in the PSAs, with rational appeals and positive message frames standing out. It was also observed that the messages employed simple and clear language to reach a broad audience effectively.

Keywords

Health Communication, COVID-19, Public Service Announcements, Message Strategies, Content Analysis

Pandemi Döneminde Dijital Sağlık İletişimi: T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı COVID-19 Kamu Spotları Üzerine Stratejik Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Sağlık iletişimi, bireylerin sağlık tehditlerine karşı bilinçlenmesini sağlamak, tutum ve davranış değişikliklerini teşvik etmek amacıyla yürütülen stratejik bir iletişim sürecidir. Kamu spotları ise sağlık iletişiminde toplumun geniş kesimlerine ulaşabilmek için sıklıkla kullanılan etkili araçlardır. Özellikle kriz dönemlerinde, kamu spotları halk sağlığını koruma ve farkındalık yaratma hedefleri doğrultusunda kritik bir rol üstlenmektedir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Sağlık Bakanlığı tarafından COVID-19 pandemisi döneminde yayınlanan kamu spotlarını sağlık iletişimi perspektifinden incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında, Sağlık Bakanlığı’nın COVID-19 Bilgilendirme Platformu’ndaki sınırlı kamu spotları yerine YouTube platformunda “Pandemi Kamu Spotları” başlığı altında yayınlanan 173 video incelenmiştir. Çalışmada hem nicel hem de nitel yaklaşımları içeren içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmış, kamu spotları tür, tema, hedef kitle, sözcü kullanımı, mesaj çekicilikleri ve çerçeveleri gibi kategoriler üzerinden sistematik olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, kamu spotlarının büyük ölçüde bireysel sorumluluk temelli mesajlara odaklandığını, maske kullanımı, sosyal mesafe ve hijyen gibi koruyucu davranışlara yönelik mesajlar sunduğunu göstermiştir. Kamu spotlarında animasyonlar, sağlık çalışanları ve ünlüler sözcü olarak tercih edilmiş, rasyonel çekicilikler ve pozitif mesaj çerçeveleri öne çıkmıştır. Mesajların geniş bir kitleye hitap etmesi amacıyla sade ve anlaşılır bir dil kullanıldığı gözlemlenmiştir.

Keywords

Sağlık İletişimi, COVID-19, Kamu Spotları, Mesaj Stratejileri, İçerik Analizi

References

• Abu‐Akel, A., Spitz, A., & West, R. (2021). The effect of spokesperson attribution on public health message sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0245100. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245100
• Acar, H. M., & Kavuran, T. (2021). Covid-19 salgını sürecinde Türkiye’deki kamu spotlarının göstergebilimsel çözümlemesi. İnönü Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi (İNİF E-Dergi), 6(2), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.47107/inifedergi.978337
• Alsulaiman, S. A. (2023). A cross-sectional study of perceptions of COVID-19 and adherence to preventive measures among Saudi college students using the health belief model. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 13(4), e202357. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/13783
• Atkin, C. K. (2001). Theory and principles of media health campaigns. In R. E. Rice & C. K. Atkin (Eds.), Public communication campaigns (3rd ed., pp. 49–68). Thousand Oaks, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Aytuna, E. N., Çakıcı, Z., & Özkaya, A. E. (2024). Entertainment and persuasion in online politics: A qualitative study of young voters' approach in Turkey's 2023 elections. In J. Al-Obaidi (Ed.), Changing global media landscapes: Convergence, fragmentation, and polarization (pp. 215-233). IGI Global. Doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-3767-7.ch012
• Baker, R. E., Mahmud, A. S., Miller, I. F., Rajeev, M., Rasambainarivo, F., Rice, B. L., Takahashi, S., Tatem, A. J., Wagner, C. E., Wang, L. F., Wesolowski, A., & Metcalf, C. J. E. (2022). Infectious disease in an era of global change. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 20(4), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00639-z
• Bartels, S. M., Combs, K. G., Lazard, A. J., Shelus, V., Davis, C. H., Rothschild, A. W., … Ribisl, K. M. (2021). Development and application of an interdisciplinary rapid message testing model for COVID-19 in North Carolina. Public Health Reports, 136(4), 413–420. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211018676
• Benham, J. L., Lang, R., Burns, K. K., MacKean, G., Léveillé, T., McCormack, B., … Marshall, D. (2021). Attitudes, current behaviors and barriers to public health measures that reduce COVID-19 transmission: A qualitative study to inform public health messaging. PLoS ONE, 16(2), e0246941. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246941
• Chan, K., & Chang, H.-C. (2013). Advertising to Chinese youth: A study of public service ads in Hong Kong. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 16(4), 421–435. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-06-2013-0042
• Chen, X., Li, R., Liu, Q., Hu, Q., Du, X., & Tan, X. (2020). Hand hygiene, mask-wearing behaviors and its associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic: A cross-sectional study among primary school students in Wuhan, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082893
• Chen, X., Son, R., Xiao, Z., Treise, D., & Alpert, J. M. (2023). Understanding the design of fear appeals by applying the extended parallel process model: A qualitative analysis of COVID-19 public service announcements. American Journal of Health Promotion, 38(3), 394–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171231218689
• Cheng, Y., Yu, J., Shen, Y., & Huang, B. (2020). Coproducing responses to COVID‐19 with community‐based organizations: Lessons from Zhejiang Province, China. Public Administration Review, 80(5), 866–873. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13244
• Çakıcı, Z., (2024). Türk Basınında Düzensiz Göçün Görsel Temsili: Taliban Yönetimi Sonrası Afgan Göçü. (Doktora Tezi), Galatasaray Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
• Çakıcı, Z., & Meriç, E. (2024). Exploring United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) TikTok landscape: Insights into migration representations. In S. Kir Elitaş (Ed.), Media representation of migrants and refugees (pp. 278-295). IGI Global. Doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-3459-1.ch017
• Çınarlı, İ. (2014). Bir Kriz İletişimi Yönetimi Vaka Analizi: Kaybolan Malezya Havayolları MH370 Sefer Sayılı Uçağı. İletişim Kuram Ve Araştırma Dergisi, 2014(38), 95-114.
• Çınarlı, İ. (2020). 21. Yüzyıl için sağlık iletişimi. Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
• Demirel, S., Bulur, N., & Çakıcı, Z. (2024). Utilizing artificial intelligence for text classification in communication sciences: Reliability of ChatGPT models in Turkish texts. In Design and development of emerging chatbot technology (pp. 218-235). IGI Global. Doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-1830-0.ch013
• Farwell, J. P. (2012). Persuasion and power: The art of strategic communication. Washington: Georgetown University Press.
• Fidan, M., & Yetiş, A. (2018). Sağlık iletişiminde algı: Kamu spotları üzerine bir araştırma. Selçuk İletişim, 11(2), 159–178. https://doi.org/10.18094/josc.428224
• Gantiva, C., Jiménez-Leal, W., & Urriago-Rayo, J. (2021). Framing messages to deal with the COVID-19 crisis: The role of loss/gain frames and content. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 568212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.568212
• Gilmore, B., Ndejjo, R., Tchetchia, A., Claro, V. D., Mago, E., Diallo, A. A., ... & Bhattacharyya, S. (2020). Community engagement for COVID-19 prevention and control: A rapid evidence synthesis. BMJ Global Health, 5(10), e003188. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003188
• Gunasekeran, D. V., Chew, A. M. K., Chandrasekar, E. K., Rajendram, P., Kandarpa, V., Rajendram, M., ... & Leong, C. K. (2022). The impact and applications of social media platforms for public health responses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Systematic literature review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4), e33680. https://doi.org/10.2196/33680
• Han, J. J., Song, H. A., Pierson, S. L., Shen-Gunther, J., & Xia, Q. (2023). Emerging infectious diseases are virulent viruses—Are we prepared? An overview. Microorganisms, 11(11), 2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11112618
• Johnson, D., Flora, J. A., & Rimal, R. N. (1997). HIV/AIDS public service announcements around the world: A descriptive analysis. Journal of Health Communication, 2, 223–234.
• Johnson, S., Roberts, S., Hayes, S., Fiske, A., Lucivero, F., McLennan, S., ... & Prainsack, B. (2023). Understanding pandemic solidarity: Mutual support during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Public Health Ethics, 16(3), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1093/phe/phad024
• Kalocsányiová, E., Essex, R., & Poulter, D. (2021). Risk and health communication during COVID-19: A linguistic landscape analysis. Health Communication, 38(6), 1080–1089. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1991639
• Kareklas, I., Muehling, D. D., & Weber, T. J. (2015). Reexamining health messages in the digital age: A fresh look at source credibility effects. Journal of Advertising, 44(2), 88–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2015.1018461
• Kocabaş, F., & Elden, M. (1997). Reklamcılık. İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları.
• Koebele, E. A., Albright, E. A., Dickinson, K. L., Blanch‐Hartigan, D., Neuberger, L., DeLeo, R. A., … Roberts, J. D. (2021). Perceptions of efficacy are key determinants of mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Natural Hazards Review, 22(3). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000489
• Kumari, L., Sood, M., & Gupta, S. (2023). Motivation to quit tobacco: Impact of different types of anti-tobacco state-sponsored media propaganda messages. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 12(4), 708–716. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1661_22
• Kutlu, R. (2020). Yeni koronavirüs pandemisi ile ilgili öğrendiklerimiz, tanı ve tedavisindeki güncel yaklaşımlar ve Türkiye’deki durum. Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 14(2), 329–344. https://doi.org/10.21763/tjfmpc.729917
• Lederman, L. C., Kreps, G. L., & Roberto, A. J. (2017). Health communication in everyday life. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
• Li, C., Chen, L. J., Chen, X., Zhang, M., Pang, C. P., & Chen, H. (2020). Retrospective analysis of the possibility of predicting the COVID-19 outbreak from Internet searches and social media data, China, 2020. Eurosurveillance, 25(10). https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.10.2000199
• Lundgren, R. E., & McMakin, A. H. (2009). Risk communication: A handbook for communicating environmental, safety, and health risks. United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Lynn, J. R. (1974). Effects of persuasive appeals in public service advertising. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 51(4), 622–630.
• Mani, N. S., Ottosen, T., Fratta, M., & Yu, F. (2021). A health literacy analysis of the consumer-oriented COVID-19 information produced by ten state health departments. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 109(3). https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.1165
• Meriç, E., & Çakıcı, Z. (2024). From TikTok trends to pandemic essentials: A comparative analysis of the World Health Organization's health communication strategies on TikTok. In Transformed Communication Codes in the Mediated World: A Contemporary Perspective (pp. 1-23). IGI Global. Doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-0896-7.ch001
• Motta, M., Sylvester, S., Callaghan, T., et al. (2021). Encouraging COVID-19 vaccine uptake through effective health communication. Frontiers in Political Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2021.667010
• Nurdin, A., Sulaeman, S., & Ridwan, M. (2022). Communication strategy in managing anxiety and uncertainty during the COVID-19 tests in Indonesia. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 10(3), 238–255. https://doi.org/10.18488/73.v10i3.3036
• Okay, A. (2020). Sağlık iletişimi. İstanbul: Der Yayınevi.
• Oral, S. S. (2020). Sağlık temalı popüler yerli dizilerin başrol karakterlerinin rol aldığı kamu spotlarının sağlık çalışanları tarafından alımlanması: Sağ Kalım Kampanyası çerçevesinde ‘Coronavirüs 14 Gün Kuralı’ kamu spotları örneği. Electronic Turkish Studies, 15(8).
• Özbük, M., & Öz, Y. (2017). Türkiye’de yayınlanmış olan kamu spotlarının içerik analizi yöntemi ile incelenmesi. Business and Economics Research Journal, 8(3), 575–589.
• Pakhtigian, E. L., Downs-Tepper, H., Anson, A., & Pattanayak, S. K. (2022). COVID-19, public health messaging, and sanitation and hygiene practices in rural India. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 12(11), 828–837. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2022.134
• Pink, S., Stagnaro, M. N., Chu, J., Mernyk, J. S., Voelkel, J. G., & Willer, R. (2023). The effects of short messages encouraging prevention behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE, 18(4), e0284354. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284354
• Richardson, S., Ibinaiye, T., Nikau, J., Oresanya, O., Marasciulo, M., Roca-Feltrer, A., … Adesoro, O. (2020). COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs, prevention behaviors, and misinformation in the context of an adapted seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign in six northern Nigerian states. Tropical Medicine and Health, 48(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-020-00288-7
• Sadow, J. (2012). Media relations. In L. M., G. Neeley, & K. Steward (Eds.), The practice of government public relations (pp. 29–50). Florida: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
• Sağlık Bakanlığı (2021). Bakan Koca, Türkiye’nin Kovid-19’la 1 Yıllık Mücadele Sürecini Değerlendirdi. https://www.saglik.gov.tr/TR,80604/bakan-koca-turkiyenin-kovid-19la-1-yillik-mucadele-surecini-degerlendirdi.html
• Salman, S. (2021). Covid-19 pandemi sürecine yönelik yayınlanan kamu spotlarının göstergebilimsel yöntemle çözümlenmesi. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(4), 999–1016.
• Sangrar, R., Porter, M. M., & Chesser, S. (2021). Exploring the interpretation of COVID-19 messaging on older adults’ experiences of vulnerability. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 40(4), 533–542. https://doi.org/10.1017/s071498082100043x
• Schiavo, R. (2007). Health communication: From theory to practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Sidani, J. E., Hoffman, B. L., Colditz, J. B., Wolynn, R., Hsiao, L., Chu, K., … Primack, B. A. (2022). Discussions and misinformation about electronic nicotine delivery systems and COVID-19: Qualitative analysis of Twitter content. JMIR Formative Research, 6(4), e26335. https://doi.org/10.2196/26335
• Singh, K., & Singh, A. (2017). Public service advertising in India: An evaluation through literature. International Journal of Marketing & Financial Management, 5(3), 53–64.
• Siuyi, W. W. (2006). Political ideology in Hong Kong’s public service announcements. In K. Chan (Ed.), Advertising and Hong Kong Society (pp. 55–76). Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.
• Skjefte, M., Ngirbabul, M., Akeju, O., Escudero, D. J., Hernández–Díaz, S., Wyszynski, D. F., & Wu, J. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women and mothers of young children: Results of a survey in 16 countries. European Journal of Epidemiology, 36(2), 197–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-021-00728-6
• Slater, M. D. (1999). Drinking and driving PSAs: A content analysis of behavioral influence strategies. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 68–81.
• Solnick, R. E., Chao, G., Ross, R. D., Kraft-Todd, G. T., & Kocher, K. E. (2020). Emergency physicians and personal narratives improve the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 public health recommendations on social media: A randomized experiment. Academic Emergency Medicine, 28(2), 172–183. https://doi.org/10.1111/acem.14188
• Stewart, S., & Ogden, J. (2021). Motivating or stigmatising? The public health and media messaging surrounding COVID-19 and obesity: A qualitative think-aloud study. Health Education, 122(4), 374–386. https://doi.org/10.1108/he-04-2021-0067
• Şentürk, Z. A., & Mutlu, A. (2021). Sağlık Bakanlığı’nın COVID-19 kamu spotlarının göstergebilimsel analizi. In Z. Şentürk & A. Mutlu (Eds.), COVID-19 sürecinde iletişimin değişen yüzü (pp. 79).
• Tait, M. E., Abrahams, J., Brehm, R., Baum, L., Fowler, E. F., Niederdeppe, J., & Gollust, S. E. (2022). Serving the public? A content analysis of COVID-19 public service announcements airing from March–December of 2020 in the US. Preventive Medicine Reports, 29, 101971.
• Talabi, F. O., Oyedeji, K. A., Omowale, A., Sanusi, B. O., Adaja, T., Talabi, J. M., … Alade, M. (2022). Public perception of radio campaign messages in managing COVID-19 pandemic in selected states, Nigeria. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2085958
• Tetzlaff, E. J., Goulet, N., Gorman, M., Richardson, G. R. A., & Kenny, G. P. (2023). The intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 heat dome in Canadian digital news media: A content analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(17), 6674. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176674
• West-Oram, P. G. N. (2020). Solidarity is for other people: Identifying derelictions of solidarity in responses to COVID-19. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47(2), 65–68. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106522
• Yurttaş, Ö. U. (2021). COVID-19 pandemisi ve kamu spotu reklamları üzerine bir inceleme. Turkish Online Journal of Design Art and Communication, 11(1), 213–231.
• Zimmer, M. R., & Golden, L. L. (1988). Impressions of retail stores: A content analysis of consumer images. Journal of Retailing, 64(3), 265–293.