Communicating health crisis: a content analysis of global media framing of COVID-19

Abstract

Background: This study examines the global media framing of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to understand the dominant frames and how choice of words compares in the media. Periods of health crisis such as the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic add to the enormous burden of the media in keeping people constantly informed. Extant literature suggests that when a message is released through the media, what matters most is not what is said but how it is said. As such, the media could either mitigate or accentuate the crisis depending on the major frames adopted for the coverage. Methods: The study utilises content analysis. Data were sourced from LexisNexis database and two websites that yielded 6145 items used for the analysis. Nine predetermined frames were used for the coding. Results: Human Interest and fear/scaremongering frames dominated the global media coverage of the pandemic. We align our finding with the constructionist frame perspective which assumes that the media as information processor creates ‘interpretative packages’ in order to both reflect and add to the ‘issue culture’ because frames that paradigmatically dominate event coverage also dominate audience response. The language of the coverage of COVID-19 combines gloom, hope, precaution and frustration at varied proportions. Conclusion: We conclude that global media coverage of COVID-19 was high, but the framing lacks coherence and sufficient self-efficacy and this can be associated with media’s obsession for breaking news. The preponderance of these frames not only shapes public perception and attitudes towards the pandemic but also risks causing more problems for those with existing health conditions due to fear or panic attack.

“Is it possible that people are so irresponsible?”: Tabloid news framing of the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia

“…Ogbodo and colleagues (2020) examined media reporting from America, Africa, Asia and Europe and noted relatively similar representations of the COVID-19 pandemic through the prism of economic and ethnic issues, as well as through conflict and fear-mongering frames. However, there were some notable differences as the frames of hope and morality were more prominent in the Vatican's media, the human interest frame was more frequent in America and Europe, while the politicisation frame was mostly used by Chinese media (Ogbodo et al, 2020).…”

Travellers’ top comments during the COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana

“…Firstly, the article has demonstrated that online reviews can reliably be used to understand travellers' reflections during a crisis using text mining. Furthermore, instead of reviews that are filled with the undesirable impacts of COVID-19, such as fear or scaremongering (Ogbodo et al, 2020) or trip cancellations (Uğur & Akbıyık, 2020) or the origin of the virus and its sources (Abd-Alrazaq et al, 2020), this article is filled with more positive and generalised comments on travel in Botswana. Comments specific to COVID-19 such as trip disruptions and limited service or fear and anxiety were very limited.…”

Волновая (Де)проблематизация: Освещение Пандемии Коронавируса В России На Федеральном Телеканале

“…Можно предположить, что в случае с пандемией COVID19 эти сложности в организации массовой коммуникации также наблюдались. Например, согласно отдельным исследованиям, характер дискуссии по данному вопросу мог повышать тревожность населения [Ogbodo et al, 2020]. Кроме того, освещение проблемы неоднократно изменялось в ответ на поступление новой информации, введение тех или иных ограничительных мер и т. д. Образ коронавируса в период, когда он еще не пришел в Россию, во время самоизоляции и в момент снятия ос новных ограничений существенно различался.…”