Moral expression of “experts” and public engagement: Communicating COVID-19 vaccines on Facebook public pages in Chinese

This research investigates the moral frames employed by diverse Chinese-speaking “experts” on their Facebook public pages in relation to COVID-19 vaccines, leveraging Moral Foundations Theory for analysis. The analysis highlights that experts predominantly employ moral frames emphasizing care and authority in communicating COVID-19 vaccines. However, the moral frames of care, loyalty, and fairness are more effective in garnering public support. The research thus identifies a disparity between the moral rhetoric commonly espoused by different expert groups and the rhetoric that substantively influences public engagement. The implications of diverse experts’ moral framing in public health crises are also discussed.