Knowledge through the media and the perception of public policy effectiveness

• In Event: Travelling Knowledge (III): Networks of Scholars and Objects

Abstract

In 2015 an outbreak of microcephaly was identified in Recife City (in the Brazilian Northeast). Eventually, Brazilian scientists established the relation between such cases and the occurrence of Zika virus. Pregnant women in Recife were infected with Zika virus prior to the outbreak. Similar cases occurred elsewhere in Brazil and in Colombia subsequently. At the time, the general public, scientists and health professionals demanded further access to information to a topic where there was limited established scientific knowledge. Considering the uncertainty involved, and how quickly Zika and microcephaly became major topics in the national and international media, the aim of this article is to elucidate how the effectiveness of public policy with regard to the Zika crisis was understood by the public in Brazil. The research methodology employed a semi-structured questionnaire and the sample covered 103 face-to-face interviews, including health professionals, scientists, and the general population - including those directly exposed to the outbreak. We enquired how the interviewees were informed about and perceived this crisis. The main findings suggest that public perception of the effectiveness of public policy is related to the volume and content of information about the virus. Information circulated more intensely during the crisis, therefore interviewees acknowledged higher effectiveness during this time, once the circulation of information decreased the public perceived that the Zika crisis as either resolved or neglected by the government. Previous studies on the Zika crisis focused on the volume of media attention, this study contributes by complementing the literature with the perception of the public to the media.

Authors

• Andre Sica de Campos, Unicamp

• Janaina Costa, Unicamp