Pemberitaan Covid-19 penting khususnya agar masyarakat mendapatkan informasi dan membuat keputusan tepat untuk menghindari paparan virus corona. Akan tetapi penelitian terdahulu mengatakan pesan negatif (undesirable) seperti berita Covid-19 yang tersebar di media sosial atau social networking sites (SNS) dapat menimbulkan third-person perception (TPP), yakni khalayak berpersepsi bahwa berita tersebut lebih mempengaruhi orang lain dibandingkan diri mereka sendiri. Hal ini penting diperhatikan karena TPP digagaskan mempengaruhi intensi melakukan perilaku preventif protokol kesehatan 6M yaitu: 1.) memakai masker; 2.) mencuci tangan; 3.) menjaga jarak; 4.) menghindari kerumunan; 5.) mengurangi mobilitas; 6.) dan mengindari makan bersama. Penelitian terdahulu menemukan bukti empiris bahwa cara khalayak menggunakan berita Covid-19 di SNS (konsumsi, kontribusi dan kreasi konten berita Covid-19) dapat mengurangi TPP dan juga memiliki hubungan dengan intensi perilaku preventif. Selain itu, relevansi pribadi khalayak terhadap berita Covid-19 (seberapa penting, bermakna dan berkonsekuensi berita pandemi terhadap khalayak) juga digagaskan dapat mengurangi TPP dan berhubungan positif dengan intensi perilaku preventif. Maka digagaskan bahwa tipe penggunaan SNS dan relevansi pribadi memiliki hubungan langsung dengan intensi perilaku preventif; dan hubungan tidak langsung dengan TPP berperan sebagai mediator. Untuk menguji hipotesis tersebut, dilaksanakan penelitian berjenis eksplanatif dengan paradigma positivistik dan pendekatan kuantitatif. Penelitian ini menggunakan quota sampling untuk memperoleh 400 responden dengan karakteristik berdomisili di lima kotamadya DKI Jakarta, berjenis kelamin laki-laki dan perempuan, dewasa usia produktif 17-64 tahun dan menggunakan media sosial (Whatsapp, Line, Telegram, Twitter, Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, dan Linkedin) baik untuk aktivitas sehari-hari maupun mendapatkan berita Covid-19. Data diperoleh melalui survei daring dan diolah dengan program SPSS untuk analisis deskriptif dan partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) untuk analisis model serta pengujian hipotesis. Berdasarkan paired sample t-test, nilai rata-rata indikator pengaruh berita Covid-19 terhadap ‘orang lain’ lebih besar daripada indikator pengaruh terhadap ‘saya’ sehingga menandakan adanya TPP. Berdasarkan analisis model struktural, TPP tidak mempengaruhi intensi perilaku preventif secara signifikan. Meski begitu, secara umum responden ‘setuju’ berniat menjalankan protokol kesehatan 6M. TPP juga tidak terbukti memediasi hubungan konsumsi, kontribusi dan kreasi dengan intensi perilaku preventif. Selain itu TPP juga tidak memediasi hubungan relevansi pribadi terhadap perilaku preventif. Relevansi pribadi didapati sebagai variabel penting karena memiliki hubungan negatif signifikan dengan TPP dan memiliki hubungan positif dengan intensi perilaku preventif
News coverage on Covid-19 is of public importance as it provides people with important updates as well as information crucial for avoiding infection. Previous studies have shown undesirable messages such as Covid-19 news that circulates in social networking sites (SNS) can trigger ‘third-person perception’, which is a phenomenon in which audiences presume a message exerts more influence upon people other than themselves. It is crucial to examine whether audiences experience TPP during consumption of pandemic news – especially when there is a possible negative correlation between TPP and protective behavior intentions. In the case of Covid-19 pandemic, preventive behavior is 6M health protocol that includes: 1.) wear masks; 2.) wash hands; 3.) keep physical distance; 4.) avoid crowds; 5.) decrease mobility; 6.) avoid eating together public spaces. Previous studies showed empirical evidence that how users use Covid-19 news in SNS (consume, contribute or create) could reduce TPP and also is correlated with preventive behavior intentions. Furthermore, personal relevance of pandemic news (important, meaningful & has consequences) is said to have negative relationship with TPP but has positive relationship with preventive behavior intentions. This suggests that three types of SNS usage and personal relevance have direct relationship with protective behavior intentions, as well as indirect relationship with TPP as mediator. To test these hypotheses, explanatory research of a positivistic paradigm and a quantitative approach is administered. This research utilizes quota sampling to collect data from 400 respondents through online questionnaire. Samples have the characteristics of living in five DKI Jakarta municipalities, of both sexes, between 17-64 years of age and uses SNS for daily activities as well as receiving news on Covid-19 (Whatsapp, Line, Telegram, Twitter, Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin). SPSS is used to perform descriptive analysis and paired sample t-test, while partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyze inner & outer model. Through paired sample t-test, respondents experience TPP as is evidenced by the mean value of influence of Covid-19 news towards ‘others’ is larger than that of influence towards ‘self’. However, based on structural analysis, there is no significant relationship between TPP and preventive behavior intentions despite respondents having to ‘agree’ to have intentions to follow 6M health protocol. Analyses also presented no support for the hypotheses that TPP mediates the indirect correlation of consumption, contribution and creation with preventive behavior intensions. There is also no evidence that TPP mediates indirect relationship of personal relevance and preventive behavior intensions. Personal relevance is found to be an important construct as it has a positive influence toward preventive behavior intentions and has a negative relationship with TPP.
