Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”

(1) Background: Rumors are a special type of information. Based on the classic theory of the communication of information, the “5W” communication model, this article aims to build a new model and thus explains the generation and communication of Internet health rumors. (2) Methods: The authors selec...

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Main Authors: Haibin Wei, Jianyang Chen, Xinyan Gan, Zhenyi Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-12-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2507
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author Haibin Wei
Jianyang Chen
Xinyan Gan
Zhenyi Liang
author_facet Haibin Wei
Jianyang Chen
Xinyan Gan
Zhenyi Liang
author_sort Haibin Wei
collection DOAJ
description (1) Background: Rumors are a special type of information. Based on the classic theory of the communication of information, the “5W” communication model, this article aims to build a new model and thus explains the generation and communication of Internet health rumors. (2) Methods: The authors selected 50 Internet health rumors, which were widely spread in widely used websites and social media in China, then grounded theory is used to perform the qualitative analysis of the Internet health rumors. (3) Results: Three Core Concepts are abstracted after qualitative analysis. An internal dynamic mutual assistance mechanism of the communication of rumors is built and illustrated. Based on Lasswell’s “5W” communication model, the authors develop an eight-element communication model for Internet health rumors to illustrate the generation and communication of Internet health rumors. (4) Conclusions: By removing one or several elements of this new model, the chain of the communication of Internet health rumors could be cut off, which is valuable information for the government or websites to manage communication of Internet health rumors.
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spelling doaj.art-5e9e21b962894d35adaf3b06181cf1582023-11-24T15:11:16ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322022-12-011012250710.3390/healthcare10122507Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”Haibin Wei0Jianyang Chen1Xinyan Gan2Zhenyi Liang3Public Management College, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaPublic Health and Management College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, ChinaPublic Health and Management College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, ChinaPublic Health and Management College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, China(1) Background: Rumors are a special type of information. Based on the classic theory of the communication of information, the “5W” communication model, this article aims to build a new model and thus explains the generation and communication of Internet health rumors. (2) Methods: The authors selected 50 Internet health rumors, which were widely spread in widely used websites and social media in China, then grounded theory is used to perform the qualitative analysis of the Internet health rumors. (3) Results: Three Core Concepts are abstracted after qualitative analysis. An internal dynamic mutual assistance mechanism of the communication of rumors is built and illustrated. Based on Lasswell’s “5W” communication model, the authors develop an eight-element communication model for Internet health rumors to illustrate the generation and communication of Internet health rumors. (4) Conclusions: By removing one or several elements of this new model, the chain of the communication of Internet health rumors could be cut off, which is valuable information for the government or websites to manage communication of Internet health rumors.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2507Internet health rumors5W communication modelgrounded theory
spellingShingle Haibin Wei
Jianyang Chen
Xinyan Gan
Zhenyi Liang
Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
Healthcare
Internet health rumors
5W communication model
grounded theory
title Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
title_full Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
title_fullStr Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
title_full_unstemmed Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
title_short Eight-Element Communication Model for Internet Health Rumors: A New Exploration of Lasswell’s “5W Communication Model”
title_sort eight element communication model for internet health rumors a new exploration of lasswell s 5w communication model
topic Internet health rumors
5W communication model
grounded theory
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/12/2507
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AT xinyangan eightelementcommunicationmodelforinternethealthrumorsanewexplorationoflasswells5wcommunicationmodel
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