Journalistic role performance in times of COVID
- Author(s)
- Daniel C. Hallin, Claudia Mellado, Akiba Cohen, Nicolas Hubé, David Nolan, Gabriella Szabó, Yasser Abuali, Carlos Arcila-Calderón, Maha Attia, Nicole Blanchett, Katherine Y.N. Chen, Sergey Davydov, Mariana De Maio, Miguel Garcés, Marju Himma-Kadakas, María Luisa Humanes, Christi I-Hsuan Lin, Sophie Lecheler, Lee Misook, Mireya Márquez Ramírez, Jamie Matthews, Karen Mcintyre, Jad Melki, Peter Maurer, Marco Mazzoni, Mick Jacques, Kristina Milić, Dasniel Olivera, Marcela Pizarro, Fergal Quinn, Terje Skjerdal, Agnieszka Stępińska, Sarah Van Leuven, Diana Viveros Aguilar, Vinzenz Wyss, Natalia Ybáñez
- Abstract
This paper examines journalistic role performance in coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a content analysis of newspaper, television, radio and online news in 37 countries. We test a set of hypotheses derived from two perspectives on the role of journalism in health crises. Mediatization theories assume that news media tend to sensationalize or to politicize health crises. A contrasting perspective holds that journalists shift toward more deferential and cooperative stances toward health and political authorities in a health crisis, attempting to mobilize the public to act according to the best science. Hypotheses derived from these perspectives are tested using the standard measures of journalistic roles developed by the Journalistic Role Performance Project. Results show that the deference/cooperation/consensus perspective is better supported, with media moving away from the Watchdog and Infotainment, and toward performance of the Service and Civic roles. We also explore differences in the pattern by country.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Communication
- External organisation(s)
- University of California, San Diego, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Université Paris IV - Paris-Sorbonne, Sheridan College, Northeast Science Station, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , NLA University College, Adam Mickiewicz University, Ghent University , Universität Zürich (UZH)
- Journal
- Journalism Studies
- Volume
- 24
- Pages
- 1977-1998
- No. of pages
- 22
- ISSN
- 1461-670X
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2274584
- Publication date
- 11-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 508007 Communication science
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/54cff6f0-c46e-4899-b200-268bd6afc681