Message framing and message appeals on COVID-19 vaccination: A content analysis on COVID-19 vaccination Youtube videos

Abstract

This work examines the message framing and message appeals used in COVID-19 vaccination videos through content analysis of 80 videos published between 2020 April and 2022 May on the YouTube platform. Research findings revealed that the videos primarily aimed to encourage individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Gain-framed messages, personal health risk frames, and descriptive appeals dominated the analyzed COVID-19 vaccination videos. In gain-framed messages, the videos emphasized the advantages of COVID-19 vaccines by depicting how the immune system responded post-vaccination or infection. COVID-19 vaccines were portrayed as reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death post-infection, while also bolstering the immune system to combat COVID-19. In personal health risk frames, videos highlighted the advantages of COVID-19 vaccination in protecting individuals from serious illnesses and hospitalization following infection. In descriptive appeals, the videos provided simplified information about various aspects of COVID-19 vaccination.