Crisis Narratives and Communication: An Evaluation of CDC Messages About COVID-19 Information

Informed by the Narrative Paradigm, this study investigates COVID-19 narrative gaps in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) messages and their impact on public trust and perceptions. Through a four-condition experiment (N = 1,610), this research examined the consequences of the CDC’s confusing and contradictory messages about COVID-19 testing protocols. Participants were randomly assigned to three versions of messages and the results revealed major differences in participants’ perceptions across conditions. Specifically, those exposed to the CDC’s verbatim contradictory messages exhibited significantly lower perceptions of message reliability, effectiveness, and credibility compared to recipients of updated or modified messages. Overall, this study emphasizes the detrimental effects of narrative gaps and inconsistencies on trust and credibility in health communication. By examining these effects, this research informs the development of strategic communication recommendations aimed at building trust and mitigating the spread of conspiratorial ideations during health-related crises, contributing to more effective crisis communication practices.