Information Behavior During the Covid-19 Crisis in German-Speaking Countries
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This paper explores the impact of the Covid-19 crisis at the level of individual information behavior, based on an online survey among 308 participants from German-speaking countries in April and May 2020, followed by semi-structured interviews of 10 survey participants by end of May and beginning of June 2020. The results show first, that the Covid-19 crisis has led to an increased demand for reliable information. This goes along with a significant increased use of public broadcasting, newspapers and information provided by public organizations. Second, the majority of 84 participants reported to be satisfied with the information supply during the Covid-19 crisis. Participants that were less satisfied with the information supply during the Covid-19 crisis used significantly less frequently reliable sources, specifically public television, national newspapers and information provided by public organizations. Third, the amount of Covid-19 related information during the peak of the crisis led for some participants to a feeling of information overload, which resulted in a reduction of information seeking and media use.
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