Physician Trust in the News Media and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Kirby Goidel Texas A&M University Timothy Callaghan Boston University David J. Washburn Tasmiah Nuzhath Texas A&M University Julia Scobee Boston University Abigail Spiegelman Vermont Department of Health Matt Motta Boston University Abstract Context: Previous research has established the importance of primary care physicians in com- municating public health directives. The implicit assumption is that, because of their expertise, doctors provide accurate and up-to-date information to their patients independent of partisan affiliation or media trust. Methods: The authors conducted an online survey of 625 primary care physicians and used the results to test (1) whether physician trust in media outlets is consistent with their political parti- sanship, and (2) whether trust in media outlets influences (a) personal concern that someone in their family will get sick, (b) perceptions about the seriousness of the pandemic as portrayed in the media, and (c) trust in federal government agencies and scientists. Findings: Physicians are better positioned to critically evaluate health-related news, but they are subject to the same biases that influence public opinion. Physicians’ partisan commitments influ- ence media trust, and media trust influences concern that a family member will get sick, perceptions regarding the seriousness of the pandemic, and trust in federal government agencies and scientists. Conclusions: Physician trustin specific media outlets shapes their understanding of the pandemic, and—to the extent that they trust conservative media outlets—it may limit their effectiveness as health policy messengers. Keywords primary care physician, partisanship, news media, trust, COVID-19 Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 48, No. 3, June 2023 DOI 10.1215/03616878-10358696 Ó 2023 by Duke University Press Downloaded from http://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article-pdf/48/3/317/1876537/317goidel.pdf by guest on 21 May 2023