Role of Mass Media as Changing Agent in Behavioral Change amid
Coronavirus Crisis: A Study on Bangladesh Perspective
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis of the
21st century. In an overpopulated country like Bangladesh, it is even
tougher to fight the situation. The government and different
stakeholders are relentlessly encouraging people to maintain the
necessary health care measures where the mass media is playing the
supporting role. The research examines how mass media has been
influencing in the behavioral change during this pandemic and played the
role of “changing agent”. The research is designed on mixed method,
including content analysis and survey. This study analyses 191 health
awareness-based news from three different print newspapers and two
television channels’ prime hour bulletins within the timeline of 1st
March to 31st March. Also, a survey questionnaire was set with
close-ended questions to accumulate people’s feedback. Using the “The
Behaviorism Theory”, this study explains, how all behaviors are
acquired through conditioning. Throughout this theoretical lens, this
research finds out how media worked as an external stimulus in changing
people’s behavior pattern. The findings suggest that media had positive
impact over its audience which inspired people to practice safety
measurements in such crisis.