Introduction
Since its announcement on December 31, 2020, by the WHO, the coronavirus disease (COVIID-19) has presented a great challenge to the economy, public gatherings, and on health care systems across the globe. However, it has created an opportunity for the media, which has responded by making the cover of the pandemic a priority across all media platforms from newsrooms to social media platforms. This report seeks to discuss the role of mainstream legacy media in the U.S. with a focus on newspapers such as The Guardian and the New York Times, in communicating health updates and advice from governing bodies in order to increase health awareness and help in containing the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, the report will look at the challenges that social media and mass media have faced and continue to face in the wake of disinformation and misinformation.
Research Question
- How have mainstream newspaper outlets in the U.S enhanced public health awareness?
- What role has newspapers played in managing and containing COVD-19?
Methodology
Discourse analysis refers to the contextual meaning of language in an attempt to focus on the social aspects of communication and how people and institutions use language to achieve specific effects. Discourse analysis be done by analyzing different aspects of communication carried out by online newspapers such as New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. The analysis will be carried out on the editorials on COVID-19- related stories between March 1, 2020- May 31, 2020 and between August 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020. The articles will be read for any characteristics that relate to the discourse representation and spread of awareness on COVID-19, which will be subjected to discourse analyses.
