Skip to main content

Journalistic Role Performance in Times of COVID.

Hallin, D. C., Mellado-Ruiz, C., Cohen, A., Hube, N., Nolan, D., Szabó, G., Abuali, Y., Arcila, C., Attia, M., Blanchett, N., Chen, K., Davydov, S., De Maio,, M., Garcés, M., Himma-Kadakas, M., Luisa Humanes, M., I-Hsuan Lin, C., Lecheler, S., Lee, M., Márquez, M., Matthews, J., McIntyre, K., Melki, J., Maurer, P., Mazzoni, M., Mick, J., Milić, K., Olivera, D., Pizzaro, M., Quinn, F., Skjerdal, T., Stępińska, A., Van Leuven, S., Viveros, D., Wyss, V. and Ybáñez, N., 2023. Journalistic Role Performance in Times of COVID. Journalism Studies, 24 (16), 1977-1998.

Full text available as:

[img] PDF
COVID Final JS R3 Clean with Authors.pdf - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only until 21 May 2025.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.

391kB

DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2023.2274584

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.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:1461-670X
Uncontrolled Keywords:Journalism; journalistic roles; health news; health crisis communication; COVID-19; content analysis
Group:Faculty of Media & Communication
ID Code:39187
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:24 Nov 2023 12:35
Last Modified:30 May 2024 08:14

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...
Repository Staff Only -