Trust and Credibility in Health Crises: Comparative Insights From Government and Non-Government Spokespersons in Indonesia and Australia

This study examines how government and non-government health spokespersons communicated COVID-19-related information and how their messages generated different patterns of public response in Indonesia and Australia. It compares Indonesia and Australia as contrasting risk communication contexts, with Australia representing a more institutionalized and science-driven communication environment, while Indonesia represents a more pluralistic context shaped by cultural and religious diversity and misinformation challenges. By optimizing a comparative analysis framework, the study assessed spokespersons’ communication content, campaigns, sentiment, public perception, and likeability. A content analysis was conducted on 12,751 posts/content/news items published by 8 Indonesian health spokespersons and 2,954 posts/content/news items published by 4 Australian health spokespersons, representing a total of 12 health spokespersons from Indonesia and Australia. The analysis reveals that spokespersons with professional health expertise, such as medical doctors and health specialists, were perceived as more trustworthy than political or entertainment figures. The analysis suggests that spokespersons with professional health expertise generated more favorable public responses than political or entertainment figures. Variations in sentiment patterns were observed across the two countries, reflecting differences in communication environments and sociopolitical contexts. The findings indicate that spokesperson expertise, institutional positioning, and communication style may influence how public health messages are received during health crises.