Changed priorities ahead: Journalists’ shifting role perceptions when covering public health crises

Abstract

Journalistic role perceptions have been extensively studied in general contexts, but little is known as to how roles – or role prioritization – may shift across contexts, and professional characteristics. The aim of this study was gaining an understanding of journalists’ changing role perceptions in health crisis coverage, and moreover to examine potential differences between general and specialist reporters. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews with reporters with experience in health crisis reporting in Germany and Finland. Findings suggest that journalists’ roles shift when covering health crises (versus non-crises), towards a role as public mobilizers, towards classifying risks and from a watchdog to a more co-operative role. Furthermore, professional characteristics matter in journalists’ understanding and performance of their roles. Specialist reporters appear better equipped to deal with the challenges of health crisis coverage, such as balancing remaining critical with co-operation with authorities in their efforts to contain crises. Specialist reporters are also less likely to get swayed by the panic often accompanying health crises than general reporters are.

Reporting in a health emergency: The roles of Sierra Leonean journalists during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak

“…The journalistic professional detachment was side-stepped when the journalists became instructors. This finding is contrary to previously reported journalist roles in disaster settings, where journalists tried to maintain independence despite disseminating public health messages [10][11][12][13][14]. Journalistic independence is a construct that is ascribed different importance in different parts of the world [38].…”

“…In the initial phase of a disaster, there can be speculation in the media, followed by a phase in which journalists commonly try to contextualize the disaster and aim to take on a longer-term perspective [9]. In each of these phases, journalists have been reported to take on different roles [10][11][12]. For instance, they can be public advocates, shining a light on underrepresented people, a catalyst by drawing attention to budget issues, or a public safety official, giving people warnings and information on risks associated with the disaster [10].…”

“…For instance, they can be public advocates, shining a light on underrepresented people, a catalyst by drawing attention to budget issues, or a public safety official, giving people warnings and information on risks associated with the disaster [10]. Journalists can turn from independent reporters and watchdogs to public mobilizers, as was seen in the E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2011 and the earthquake in Japan in that same year [11,13]. An often-debated topic is how journalists can balance their core values of independence with disseminating essential public health information-a perceived cooperation with authorities [11,14].…”

“…Journalists can turn from independent reporters and watchdogs to public mobilizers, as was seen in the E. coli outbreak in Germany in 2011 and the earthquake in Japan in that same year [11,13]. An often-debated topic is how journalists can balance their core values of independence with disseminating essential public health information-a perceived cooperation with authorities [11,14].…”

Journalism, public health, and COVID-19: some preliminary insights from the Philippines

“…The relationship between journalism and public health has mostly been explained based on journalistic roles and news framing. During the 2009 H1N1, for instance, Klemm et al (2017) found that journalists shifted from ‘watchdogs’ to ‘cooperative’ roles. Holland et al (2014) further argued that the 2009 H1N1 enabled journalists to be reflexive of their roles especially with conflicts of interest among experts and decision makers.…”