On May 20th 2015, first Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS) infectee had appeared. Since then, 186 patients and 38 deaths had occurred until the government pronounced the termination of MERS crisis. At the beginning of the MERS crisis, people felt uneasy as there were rapidly spreading rumors on the internet and SNS due to the undisclosed information about initial MERS hospital and other related information like the causes.
In terms of the risk management related to the outbreak of MERS, this study has been conducted based on the literature analysis and empirical analysis methods. These methods have focused on the following factors related to the governmental communication actions in case of the "national crisis" such as the MERS outbreak: 1/ the communication patterns of the government and the mass media, 2/whether the principles of the risk management communication are performed properly and efficiently.
The literature analysis method has been focusing on the theoretical review by referring to the graduate theses, national and international academic researches, reference books, newspapers, government announcements, white papers, and other related referential materials. As for the empirical analysis method, a combined survey has been conducted to 218 health and medical service staffs, who have experienced the MERS outbreak most closely at the health centers located in Sejong Special Self-governing City, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, and Chungcheongnam-do Province, for 7 days from May 11th to 18th. The survey is composed of 22 questions, and the nominal and Likert-5 scales are used complexly to clarify the perception differences of those who answered the survey. To conduct the empirical analysis using those two scales, the reliability verification has been carried out to the questions using the Likert-5 scale, and used the frequency analysis, T-test, correlation analysis, and other analysis methods for the verification of the main analysis results and hypotheses. SPSS 20.0 has been used for the statistical program on analyzing the results.
This study has drawn the following conclusions.
Firstly, in terms of the MERS outbreak reporting, most respondents recognizes that the principles of the risk management communication have been applied at the level of "average" or "bad"
Secondly, in terms of the causes of the MERS outbreak, the respondents recognize that the central government and hospitals are mainly responsible for the outbreak, and answered that the MERS crisis is related to the internal issue of the government, and there was enough possibility of the governmental control.
Thirdly, the respondents do not think that there was not any improvement of the governmental image after the reporting of the MERS outbreak. They rather recognize the reporting made the governmental image worse than before.
Fourthly, the general receptiveness of the respondents is average, but the reporting of the MERS outbreak is not accepted by the respondents as reported.
And fifth, the principles of the risk management communication and the receptiveness of the crisis reporting are closely related. Speed, consistency, openness, common sympathy, reliability, and fairness are the compulsory principles which should be kept in case of any crisis reporting, and those principles can be the key factors which can change the crisis to another opportunity.
Sixthly, the receptiveness of the crisis reporting is closely related to the amity of people towards the government. When the amicable relationship between the government and people is maintained, the receptiveness of people can be improved in case of any crisis.
Lastly, the respondents believes that more veracity and effectiveness are seen from taking corrective actions with admitting mistakes than showing justification or denial actions.