Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic
Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied by country, time period and media outlet. News media has simultaneously kept viewers informed about current events related to the pandemic, and contributed to misinformation or fake news.
For broader coverage of the pandemic's impact on the journalism industry, see Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on journalism.COVID-19 pandemic[edit]
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2.[1] Most people who contract COVID experience mild symptoms whereas others become severely ill.[1] Elderly people and those with certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill. There are currently four vaccines available in the United States to help prevent COVID-19: Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax, and Johnson & Johnson.[2] They are known to be safe, effective, and reduce the risk of severe illness. The virus spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus.[1]
Level and nature of coverage[edit]
The (COVID-19) pandemic has put a tremendous strain on many countries' citizens, resources, and economies around the world.[14] This includes the social distancing measures, travel bans, self-quarantines, and business closures are changing the very fabric of societies worldwide.[14] With people forced out of public spaces, much of the conversation about this pandemic and the after effects now occurs online and on social media platforms.
Within January 2020, the first full month in which the outbreak was known, Time recorded 41,000 English-language articles containing the term "coronavirus", of which 19,000 made it to headlines. This was compared with the Kivu Ebola epidemic, which had 1,800 articles and 700 headlines in August 2018. Paul Levinson, a researcher in communications and media studies, attributed this wide disparity to backlash from perceived overcoverage of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, coupled with concerns regarding Chinese censorship of the coverage.[15]
Recode reported on 17 March that, out of 3,000 high-traffic news sites, around 1 percent of published articles are related to the disease, but those articles generate around 13 percent of all views, with subtopics such as social distancing, flattening the curve and self-quarantine being particularly popular. The total number of article views itself was some 30 percent higher in mid-March 2020 compared to in mid-March 2019.[16]
An analysis of approximately 141,000 English language news headlines related to the Coronavirus from January 15, 2020, to June 3, 2020, uncovered that 52% of headlines evoked negative sentiments while only 30% evoked positive sentiments.[17] The authors suggest that the headlines are contributing to fear and uncertainty which is having negative health and economic outcomes. Other studies in different contexts and focused in different media have found that news have not portrayed coping strategies and health behaviors as much as they could have.[18][19] Other authors suggest that news coverage has resulted in the politicization of the pandemic,[20] has been excessively concerned for the performance of political actors over the provision of scientific and self-efficacy information,[19] and has been highly polarized.[21]
A November 2020 paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research titled "Why Is All COVID-19 News Bad News?" found that 91% of stories by major American media outlets about COVID-19 have a negative tone compared to 54% for major media outlets outside the United States and 65% for scientific journals.[22]
Issues with misinformation and fake news led to the development of CoVerifi, a platform that has the potential to help address the COVID-19 "infodemic".[23]
It has been claimed that the extended and prolonged coverage of the pandemic may have contributed to a COVID-19 information fatigue, making it more difficult to communicate updated information.[24] Media experts say the challenge for some news outlets is accurately conveying the nuance of pandemic science to the public.[25] The public who are now being asked to resume mask wearing in some parts of the country and as the delta variant sends cases soaring among the unvaccinated.[25]