“Here’s what you can do to stop the spread”: Frames and mobilizing information in CDC’s social media messages during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although there is a body of research on message frames and mobilizing information (MI), not enough attention has been paid to whether public health organizations are benefiting from the research in their social media messages during a public health crisis. To fill this research gap, this study aimed to examine how the CDC in the U.S. used gain and loss frames and MI in their Instagram posts about COVID-19 prevention and whether the use of such message strategies changed throughout the pandemic. A mixed-methods content analysis of a sample of 565 posts showed that the CDC overwhelmingly relied on gain frame, interactive MI, and tactical MI as their message strategies. The use of frames and MI was mostly consistent throughout the pandemic, although the target behavior changed. The supplemental analysis also revealed that loss-framed or gain- and loss-framed messages led to more user engagement. The findings highlighted the need for an evidence-based approach in social media messages by public health organizations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.