Citizens' Perceived Information Responsibilities and Information Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In crises, citizens show changes in their information behavior, which is mediated by trust in sources, personal relations, online and offline news outlets and information and communication technologies such as apps and social media. Through a repeated one-week survey with closed and open questions of German citizens during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines citizens' perceptions of information responsibilities, their satisfaction with the fulfillment of these responsibilities and their wishes for improving the information flow. The study shows that the dynamism of the crisis and the federally varying strategies burden citizens who perceive an obligation to stay informed, but view agencies as responsible for making information readily available. The study contributes a deeper understanding of citizens' needs in crises and discusses implications for design of communication tools for dynamic situations that reduce information overload while fulfilling citizens' desire to stay informed.