Skip to content
1981
Media and the Coronavirus Pandemic in Africa (Part Two)
  • ISSN: 2040-199X
  • E-ISSN: 1751-7974

Abstract

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented media coverage globally and in South Africa where, at the time of writing, over 20,000 people had died from the virus. This article explores how mainstream print media covered the COVID-19 pandemic during this time of crisis. The news media play a key role in keeping the public informed during such health crises and potentially shape citizens’ perceptions of the pandemic. Drawing on a content analysis of 681 front-page news stories across eleven English-language publications, we found that nearly half of the stories used an alarmist narrative, more than half of the stories had a negative tone, and most publications reported in an episodic rather than thematic manner. Most of the stories focused on impacts of the pandemic and included high levels of sensationalism. In addition, despite the alarmist and negative nature of the reporting, most of the front-page reports did not provide information about ways to limit the spread of the virus or attempt to counter misinformation about the pandemic, raising key issues about the roles and responsibilities of the South African media during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows that South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19 was largely negative, possibly to attract audience attention and increase market share, but that this alarmist coverage left little possibility for citizens’ individual agency and self-efficacy in navigating the pandemic.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00052_1
2021-09-01
2024-12-13
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Allen, K., and Heese, K.. ( 2020;), ‘ COVID-19 affects the poor more than others, and even more so in SA. ’, Business Day, 10 April, https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2020-04-10-COVID-19-affects-the-poor-more-than-others-and-even-more-so-in-sa/. Accessed 19 November 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Balliah, D.. ( 2020), SANEF’S COVID 19 Impact on Journalism Report, SANEF (South African National Editors’ Forum) 1 June , https://sanef.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SANEF-Covid-Impact-Research-Final-Report9-optimized.pdf. Accessed 14 September 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Basch, C. H.,, Kecojevic, A., and Wagner, V. H.. ( 2020;), ‘ Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the online versions of highly circulated U.S. daily newspapers. ’, Journal of Community Health, 45:6, pp. 108997.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Brennen, J. S.,, Simon, F. M.,, Howard, P. N., and Nielsen, R. K.. ( 2020;), ‘ Types, sources and claims of COVID-19 misinformation. ’, Reuters Institute Factsheet, Oxford:: University of Oxford;, https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sources-and-claims-COVID-19-misinformation. Accessed 5 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Charter, L.. ( 2020;), ‘ Eastern Cape up to 31 Covid-19 cases as SA rises to 1,655. ’, Daily Dispatch, 5 April, https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2020-04-05-eastern-cape-up-to-31-covid-19-cases-as-sa-rises-to-1655/. Accessed 23 August 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Deacon, D.,, Pickering, M.,, Golding, P., and Murdock, G.. ( 1999), Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis, London:: Arnold;.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Duncan, J.. ( 2014;), ‘ South African journalism and the Marikana massacre: A case study of an editorial failure. ’, Political Economy of Communication, 1:2, http://www.polecom.org/index.php/polecom/article/view/22/198. Accessed 10 September 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. French, M., and Monahan, T.. ( 2020;), ‘ Dis-ease surveillance: How might surveillance studies address COVID-19?. ’, Surveillance & Society, 18:1, pp. 111.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Gillens, M.. ( 1996;), ‘ Race and poverty in America: Public perceptions and the American news media. ’, The Public Opinion Quarterly, 60:4, pp. 51541.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Hesmondhalgh, D.. ( 2006;), ‘ Discourse analysis and content analysis. ’, in M. Gillespie, and J. Toynbee. (eds), Analysing Media Texts, London:: Open University Press;, pp. 11956.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Iyengar, S.. ( 1991), American Politics and Political Economy Series. Is Anyone Responsible? How Television Frames Political Issues, Chicago, IL:: University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Kilgo, D. K.,, Yoo, J., and Johnson, T. J.. ( 2019;), ‘ Spreading Ebola panic: Newspaper and social media coverage of the 2014 Ebola health crisis. ’, Health Communication, 34:8, pp. 81117.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Krippendorff, K.. ( 2004), Content Analysis: An Introduction to Methodology, London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Lee, S. T., and Basnyat, I.. ( 2013;), ‘ From press release to news: Mapping the framing of the 2009 H1N1 A influenza pandemic. ’, Health Communication, 28:2, pp. 11932.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Van Leuven, S.,, Deprez, A., and Raeymaeckers, K.. ( 2013;), ‘ Networking or not working? A comparison of Arab spring coverage in Belgian newspapers and TV news. ’, Proceedings of The Future of Journalism, Cardiff, UK, 12–13 September, UGent Publication , http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-4240611. Accessed 4 September 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Mayher, A., and McDonald, D. A.. ( 2007;), ‘ The print media in South Africa: Paving the way for privatisation. ’, Review of African Political Economy, 34:113, pp. 44360.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith, T., and Namumba, L.. ( 2020;), Analysis of COVID-19 Media Coverage, Media Monitoring Africa. , https://mediamonitoringafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-19-Media-Coverage-Report-2-.pdf. Accessed 25 June 2021.
  18. Mutua, S. N., and Ong’ong’a, D. O.. ( 2020;), ‘ Online news media framing of COVID-19 pandemic: Probing the initial phases of the disease outbreak in international media. ’, European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 1:2, pp. 18.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Nielsen, R. K.,, Kalogeropoulos, A., and Fletcher, R.. ( 2020;), ‘ Most in the UK say news media have helped them respond to COVID-19, but a third say news coverage has made the crisis worse. ’, Reuters Institute, 25 August, https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/most-uk-say-news-media-have-helped-them-respond-COVID-19-third-say-news-coverage-has-made-crisis. Accessed 14 September 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Ogbodo, J. N.,, Onwe, E. C.,, Chukwu, J.,, Nwasum, C. J.,, Nwakpu, E. S.,, Nwankwo, S. U.,, Nwamini, S.,, Elem, S., and Ogbaeja, N. I.. ( 2020;), ‘ Communicating health crisis: A content analysis of global media framing of COVID 19. ’, Health Promotions Perspectives, 10:3, pp. 25769.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Ribeiro, B.,, Hartley, S.,, Nerlich, B., and Jaspal, R.. ( 2018;), ‘ Media coverage of the Zika crisis in Brazil: The construction of a “war” frame that masked social and gender inequalities. ’, Social Science & Medicine, 200, March, pp. 13744.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Riffe, D.,, Lacy, S.,, Watson, B., and Fico, F.. ( 2019), Analysing Media Messages: Using Quantitative Content Analysis in Research, New York, NY:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. SAARF (South African Audience Research Foundation) ( 2017;), ‘ Living standards measure. ’, http://www.saarf.co.za/lsm/lsms.asp. Accessed 13 November 2020.
  24. Sell, T. K.,, Boddie, C.,, McGinty, E. E.,, Pollack, K.,, Smith, K. C.,, Burke, T. A., and Rutkow, L.. ( 2016;), ‘ News media coverage of US Ebola policies: Implications for communication during future infectious disease threats. ’, Preventive Medicine, 93, December, pp. 11520.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Uzuegbunam, C. E.,, Duru, H. C.,, Okafor, G. O., and Ugbo, G. O.. ( 2016;), ‘ Media coverage of the Ebola virus disease: A content analytical study of the Guardian and Daily Trust newspapers. ’, in V. Marinescu, and B. Mitu. (eds), The Power of the Media in Health Communication, New York and London:: Routledge;, pp. 2942.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Vasterman, P. L., and Ruigrok, N.. ( 2013;), ‘ Pandemic alarm in the Dutch media: Media coverage of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic and the role of the expert sources. ’, European Journal of Communication, 28:4, pp. 43653.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Wallis, P., and Nerlich, B.. ( 2005;), ‘ Disease metaphors in new epidemics: The UK media framing of the 2003 SARS epidemic. ’, Social Science & Medicine, 60:11, pp. 262939.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Wasserman, H.. ( 2010), Tabloid Journalism in South Africa: True Story!, Bloomington, IN:: Indiana University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Wasserman, H.,, Bosch, T., and Chuma, W.. ( 2018a;), ‘ Communication from above and below: Media, protest and democracy. ’, Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies, 45:3, pp. 36886.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Wasserman, H.,, Chuma, W., and Bosch, T.. ( 2018b;), ‘ Print media coverage of service delivery protests in South Africa: A content analysis. ’, African Studies, 77:1, pp. 14556.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Wen, J.,, Aston, J.,, Liu, X., and Ying, T.. ( 2020;), ‘ Effects of misleading media coverage on public health crisis: A case of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in China. ’, Anatolia, 31:2, pp. 33136.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. WHO (World Health Organization) ( 2020;), ‘ Working together to tackle the “infodemic”. ’, https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/Health-systems/digital-health/news/news/2020/6/working-together-to-tackle-the-infodemic. Accessed 14 September 2020.
  33. Zhou, W.,, Wang, A.,, Xia, F.,, Xiao, Y., and Tang, S.. ( 2020;), ‘ Effects of media reporting on mitigating spread of COVID-19 in the early phase of the outbreak. ’, Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 17:3, pp. 2693707.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Wasserman, Herman,, Chuma, Wallace,, Bosch, Tanja,, Uzuegbunam, Chikezie E., and Flynn, Rachel. ( 2021;), ‘ South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19: A content analysis. ’, Journal of African Media Studies, 13:3, pp. 33350, https://doi.org/10.1386/jams_00052_1
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00052_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00052_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error