{"title":"Out of an Abundance of Caution: COVID-19 and Health Risk Frames in Canadian News Media","authors":"R. Wallace, A. Lawlor, Erin Tolley","doi":"10.1017/S0008423921000214","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Although Canada's first documented case of COVID-19 appeared in mid-January 2020, it was not until March that messaging about the need to contain the virus heightened. In this research note, we document the use of the media's construction of risk through framing in the early stages of the pandemic. We analyze three dimensions of the health risk narratives related to COVID-19 that dominated Canadians’ concerns about the virus. To capture these narratives, we examine print and online news coverage from two nationally distributed media sources. We assess these frames alongside epidemiological data and find there is a clear link between media coverage, epidemiological data and risk frames in the early stages of the pandemic. It appears that the media relied on health expertise and political sources to guide their coverage and was responsive to the public health data presented to Canadians.","PeriodicalId":47302,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Political Science-Revue Canadienne De Science Politique","volume":"191 1","pages":"1 - 14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2021-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"3","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Canadian Journal of Political Science-Revue Canadienne De Science Politique","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423921000214","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"POLITICAL SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 3
Abstract
Abstract Although Canada's first documented case of COVID-19 appeared in mid-January 2020, it was not until March that messaging about the need to contain the virus heightened. In this research note, we document the use of the media's construction of risk through framing in the early stages of the pandemic. We analyze three dimensions of the health risk narratives related to COVID-19 that dominated Canadians’ concerns about the virus. To capture these narratives, we examine print and online news coverage from two nationally distributed media sources. We assess these frames alongside epidemiological data and find there is a clear link between media coverage, epidemiological data and risk frames in the early stages of the pandemic. It appears that the media relied on health expertise and political sources to guide their coverage and was responsive to the public health data presented to Canadians.
期刊介绍:
This journal provides original research articles, notes, commentaries, review articles, and book reviews in all areas of political science, including but not limited to: the history of political thought; contemporary political theory; international relations and foreign policy; governmental institutions and processes; political behaviour; public administration and public policy; and women and politics. In addition, the Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique is the primary forum for innovative research on all facets of Canadian politics and government as well as the principal outlet for Canadian political science scholarship. Submissions are accepted in English and in French.