H. Wasserman, W. Chuma, T. Bosch, Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam, Rachel Flynn
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.
{"title":"South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19: A content analysis","authors":"H. Wasserman, W. Chuma, T. Bosch, Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam, Rachel Flynn","doi":"10.1386/jams_00052_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/jams_00052_1","url":null,"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.\u0000 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\u0000 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\u0000 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\u0000 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\u0000 in navigating the pandemic.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75001951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While an incredible series of twists characterized the fight against COVID-19 in Burundi and its narration, references to God have never been missing in the narratives around the disease. Trust in God represented one of the pillars of the government’s narrative, next to an attitude of ‘denialism’, and the fight against ‘fake news’. This article analyses the evolution of the narration of COVID-19 on Twitter during the first three phases of the fight against the disease, focusing on the use of the religious narrative. Within Burundi’s contemporary sociopolitical context, analysis of these narratives on social media best demonstrates how the fight against COVID-19 in Burundi was a fight for the control of the narrative, and by extension for political legitimacy.
{"title":"God and COVID-19 in Burundian social media: The political fight for the control of the narrative","authors":"Antea Paviotti","doi":"10.1386/jams_00055_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/jams_00055_1","url":null,"abstract":"While an incredible series of twists characterized the fight against COVID-19 in Burundi and its narration, references to God have never been missing in the narratives around the disease. Trust in God represented one of the pillars of the government’s narrative, next to an attitude\u0000 of ‘denialism’, and the fight against ‘fake news’. This article analyses the evolution of the narration of COVID-19 on Twitter during the first three phases of the fight against the disease, focusing on the use of the religious narrative. Within Burundi’s contemporary\u0000 sociopolitical context, analysis of these narratives on social media best demonstrates how the fight against COVID-19 in Burundi was a fight for the control of the narrative, and by extension for political legitimacy.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73260195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The article discusses the freedom of expression crisis that characterized the authoritarian response of the Egyptian government to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the case study of the expulsion of the foreign correspondent for The Guardian over contested outbreak data, the article argues that authorities in Egypt exploited the pandemic for political ends by silencing critics and by manipulating the public opinion.
{"title":"‘You can’t arrest a virus’: The freedom of expression crisis within Egypt’s response to COVID-19","authors":"Gabriele Cosentino","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00044_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00044_1","url":null,"abstract":"The article discusses the freedom of expression crisis that characterized the authoritarian response of the Egyptian government to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the case study of the expulsion of the foreign correspondent for The Guardian over contested outbreak data, the article argues that authorities in Egypt exploited the pandemic for political ends by silencing critics and by manipulating the public opinion.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"82 1","pages":"207-220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75957461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health systems and economies around the world. This is particularly true for developing and newly industrialized countries that often have to deal with poverty and inadequate health systems. A greater awareness of COVID-19 and its consequences, generated and fostered by journalistic health reporting, may contribute to better preparations. The societal importance of journalistic health reporting and its challenges in sub-Saharan societies during the pandemic are examined. A qualitative research design relying on interviews with representatives of African science and health journalism organizations is employed. The results show that health reporting during health crises can provide a variety of normative functions of journalism in democracies and in autocratic developing and newly industrialized countries, but it presents many challenges for journalists and media houses. COVID-19 also offers starting points for global media assistance in strengthening and improving health reporting in the long term.
{"title":"The societal importance of journalistic health reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa: Impressions from science and health journalism organizations","authors":"Stefan Wollnik","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00040_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00040_1","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health systems and economies around the world. This is particularly true for developing and newly industrialized countries that often have to deal with poverty and inadequate health systems. A greater awareness of COVID-19 and its consequences, generated and fostered by journalistic health reporting, may contribute to better preparations. The societal importance of journalistic health reporting and its challenges in sub-Saharan societies during the pandemic are examined. A qualitative research design relying on interviews with representatives of African science and health journalism organizations is employed. The results show that health reporting during health crises can provide a variety of normative functions of journalism in democracies and in autocratic developing and newly industrialized countries, but it presents many challenges for journalists and media houses. COVID-19 also offers starting points for global media assistance in strengthening and improving health reporting in the long term.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"139-158"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83107243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article examines the complex boundaries between 'fake news', speculation, hypothesis, gossip and whistleblowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows that apparently authoritative sources and experts gave information or policy recommendations that have turned out to be wrong, sometimes dangerously so, and explores the kinds of bias that enter medical advice and planning decisions. The article then diagnoses a WhatsApp voice-note from a young South African doctor that went viral and was denounced as 'fake news' because of obvious errors. This note, however, revealed behind the scenes medical thinking about subjects that professional bodies and authorities usually avoid discussing publicly. In highlighting what apparently authoritative sources omit and distort, the article suggests that journalists should report medical advice, even from authoritative sources, with caution and shows that apparently 'fake' news may reveal issues other news sources neglect.
{"title":"‘Fake news’ or trust in authorities? The problems of uncertainty at a time of medical crisis","authors":"I. Glenn","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00049_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00049_1","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the complex boundaries between 'fake news', speculation, hypothesis, gossip and whistleblowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows that apparently authoritative sources and experts gave information or policy recommendations that have turned out to be wrong, sometimes dangerously so, and explores the kinds of bias that enter medical advice and planning decisions. The article then diagnoses a WhatsApp voice-note from a young South African doctor that went viral and was denounced as 'fake news' because of obvious errors. This note, however, revealed behind the scenes medical thinking about subjects that professional bodies and authorities usually avoid discussing publicly. In highlighting what apparently authoritative sources omit and distort, the article suggests that journalists should report medical advice, even from authoritative sources, with caution and shows that apparently 'fake' news may reveal issues other news sources neglect.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"46 1","pages":"287-299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90985597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
COVID-19 is described as ‘novel’ largely because the virus has rarely been studied. Without any vaccine, the key to containing the virus was the timely delivery of educative public health information to people. With a population of 29 million composed of small urban segments, Ghana has enormous rural enclaves where most of her citizens live. This study seeks to explore the nature of Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign, focusing on the communication strategies and the extent to which indigenous communication tools (ICTs) have been employed. Relying on document analysis, Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign rarely deployed ICTs but rather paid lip service to the country’s indigenous resources in public addresses to the nation. It also found that the fight against the virus metamorphosed into political campaigns making WHO’s vital information subservient to images of political figures and political iconography in general. We argue that the nature of the campaign created generalized awareness of the pandemic, but did less to educate the masses on the WHO preventive protocols.
{"title":"Communication lapses to combating COVID-19 pandemic: Evaluating Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign","authors":"J. Nyarko, M. Serwornoo, Benedine Azanu","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00041_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00041_1","url":null,"abstract":"COVID-19 is described as ‘novel’ largely because the virus has rarely been studied. Without any vaccine, the key to containing the virus was the timely delivery of educative public health information to people. With a population of 29 million composed of small urban segments, Ghana has enormous rural enclaves where most of her citizens live. This study seeks to explore the nature of Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign, focusing on the communication strategies and the extent to which indigenous communication tools (ICTs) have been employed. Relying on document analysis, Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign rarely deployed ICTs but rather paid lip service to the country’s indigenous resources in public addresses to the nation. It also found that the fight against the virus metamorphosed into political campaigns making WHO’s vital information subservient to images of political figures and political iconography in general. We argue that the nature of the campaign created generalized awareness of the pandemic, but did less to educate the masses on the WHO preventive protocols.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84911829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The 2020 COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents a severe threat to the continent of Africa - to its people, its fauna (as COVID-19 can spread to non-human creatures and human respiratory diseases are often deadly to other primates) and its economy. The context of Africa is unique in its relation to COVID-19 in that Africa has recently suffered from - and still suffers from severe viral epidemics of HIV and Ebola virus, which creates both more significant vulnerabilities and relevant experience combatting viruses. Within the pandemic, there is a secondary 'infodemic' of misinformation which has served to complicate and worsen the effects of COVID-19 itself by undermining the public health measures necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. The purpose of this strategic review of recently published and relevant literature was to assess initial response to pandemics on the continent of Africa, in order to identify how the conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation related to COVID-19 may be identified and mitigated throughout the coming months and years and suggest a research agenda for better informing these issues. The study took the form of a systematic review of the literature relating to COVID-19 misinformation in Africa, especially as it relates to prior viral epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Ebola virus. This research is significant as it sheds light on potential means of mitigating the spread of disinformation, and therefore saving lives as we move through this ongoing pandemic.
{"title":"A systematic review of the spread of information during pandemics: A case of the 2020 COVID-19 virus","authors":"O. Shobowale","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00045_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00045_1","url":null,"abstract":"The 2020 COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents a severe threat to the continent of Africa - to its people, its fauna (as COVID-19 can spread to non-human creatures and human respiratory diseases are often deadly to other primates) and its economy. The context of Africa is unique in its relation to COVID-19 in that Africa has recently suffered from - and still suffers from severe viral epidemics of HIV and Ebola virus, which creates both more significant vulnerabilities and relevant experience combatting viruses. Within the pandemic, there is a secondary 'infodemic' of misinformation which has served to complicate and worsen the effects of COVID-19 itself by undermining the public health measures necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. The purpose of this strategic review of recently published and relevant literature was to assess initial response to pandemics on the continent of Africa, in order to identify how the conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation related to COVID-19 may be identified and mitigated throughout the coming months and years and suggest a research agenda for better informing these issues. The study took the form of a systematic review of the literature relating to COVID-19 misinformation in Africa, especially as it relates to prior viral epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Ebola virus. This research is significant as it sheds light on potential means of mitigating the spread of disinformation, and therefore saving lives as we move through this ongoing pandemic.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"34 1","pages":"221-234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88028780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ezinne Chioma Abaneme, Chinedu Jude Nwasum, Oscar Chima, Ogbonnanya Elechi, N. Uduma
The recording of the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria prompted the government to activate emergency communication strategies across the country. This study examines the awareness of the COVID-19 virus amongst rural dwellers and the importance of traditional media in health crisis communication amongst the residents of Ebonyi state. An adult sample size of 95 persons (32 male and 63 female) was assessed. The study adopts an in-depth interview as the research design. Data were generated using an interview guide and analysed thematically. The results show that rural dwellers are aware of the virus and the compliance level is high. There is a huge dependence on traditional media like town crier as the source of information amongst rural dwellers. The present study highlights the need to include rural dwellers in crisis communication planning and the integration of traditional media in future crisis communication planning.
{"title":"Communicating COVID-19 to rural dwellers: Revisiting the role of traditional media in crisis communication","authors":"Ezinne Chioma Abaneme, Chinedu Jude Nwasum, Oscar Chima, Ogbonnanya Elechi, N. Uduma","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00042_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00042_1","url":null,"abstract":"The recording of the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria prompted the government to activate emergency communication strategies across the country. This study examines the awareness of the COVID-19 virus amongst rural dwellers and the importance of traditional media in health crisis communication amongst the residents of Ebonyi state. An adult sample size of 95 persons (32 male and 63 female) was assessed. The study adopts an in-depth interview as the research design. Data were generated using an interview guide and analysed thematically. The results show that rural dwellers are aware of the virus and the compliance level is high. There is a huge dependence on traditional media like town crier as the source of information amongst rural dwellers. The present study highlights the need to include rural dwellers in crisis communication planning and the integration of traditional media in future crisis communication planning.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"374 1","pages":"177-191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90907534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The coronavirus pandemic in Africa: Crisis communication challenges","authors":"Martin N. Ndlela","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00039_2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00039_2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"14 1","pages":"133-138"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75085158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes COVID-19) has triggered a worldwide frenzied race to find a vaccine or cure, another battle is raging against technological, medicinal, religious, geopolitical and other infodemics. A two-legged qualitative study in Chintheche, a small rural town in Malawi, Africa, was conducted to explore how the residents there perceived and navigated COVID-19 amidst all the infodemic. The first leg of the study concluded that the interviewees were aware and knowledgeable about COVID-19, and the health impact it posed, but nearly half of them doubted its presence in Malawi. The second leg found that participants no longer doubted COVID-19's presence in Malawi as some prominent people they knew in their locality had either died or been hospitalized with the disease. The study concludes that only evidence of pandemics getting closer to home may change people's dismissive attitudes and moderate their behaviours.
{"title":"Exploring COVID-19 infodemic in rural Africa: A case study of Chintheche, Malawi","authors":"L. Manda","doi":"10.1386/JAMS_00047_1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1386/JAMS_00047_1","url":null,"abstract":"While the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes COVID-19) has triggered a worldwide frenzied race to find a vaccine or cure, another battle is raging against technological, medicinal, religious, geopolitical and other infodemics. A two-legged qualitative study in Chintheche, a small rural town in Malawi, Africa, was conducted to explore how the residents there perceived and navigated COVID-19 amidst all the infodemic. The first leg of the study concluded that the interviewees were aware and knowledgeable about COVID-19, and the health impact it posed, but nearly half of them doubted its presence in Malawi. The second leg found that participants no longer doubted COVID-19's presence in Malawi as some prominent people they knew in their locality had either died or been hospitalized with the disease. The study concludes that only evidence of pandemics getting closer to home may change people's dismissive attitudes and moderate their behaviours.","PeriodicalId":43702,"journal":{"name":"Journal of African Media Studies","volume":"26 1","pages":"253-267"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85482889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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