The impact of religious and spiritual persuasive messages on religious Jews and the non-religious

Today’s media environment lacks coverage of faith, religion, and spirituality, yet these are important topics in the lives of people around the globe. This article explored the effectiveness of religious and spiritual cues on Jews and the non-religious (atheists and agnostics) in Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies examining atheists and agnostics are scant in media research and within the Jewish context. Since people use media to gratify a variety of needs, the article used identity theory and congruity theory to show that religious Jews appreciated both religious and spiritual messaging, while the non-religious favourably responded to the spiritual message alone. The results provide insights for future research and support for greater religious and spiritual coverage in the media.