Media Representations of Science during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of News and Social Media on the Island of Ireland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Lina Zgaga¹  Gail Nicolson¹  Emma Burke¹  Catherine D. Darker¹  Luke Mather¹  Nicola O’Connell¹  Joseph Barry¹  Philip Crowley²  Gabriel Scally³  Christopher D. Graham⁴  Martin Dempster⁴  Cliodhna O’Connor⁵  Ann Nolan⁶ 

[1] Discipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, Ireland;Quality Improvement, Health Service Executive, D08 Dublin, Ireland;School of Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK;School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5BN, UK;School of Psychology, University College Dublin, D04 Dublin, Ireland;Trinity Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, Ireland;

关键词: COVID-19;    coronavirus;    pandemic;    science;    news media;    newspapers;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph18189542

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

COVID-19 is arguably the most critical science communication challenge of a generation, yet comes in the wake of a purported populist turn against scientific expertise in western societies. This study advances understanding of science–society relations during the COVID-19 pandemic by analysing how science was represented in news and social media coverage of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland. Thematic analysis was performed on a dataset comprising 952 news articles and 603 tweets published between 1 January and 31 May 2020. Three themes characterised the range of meanings attached to science: ‘Defining science: Its subjects, practice and process’, ‘Relating to science: Between veneration and suspicion’ and ‘Using science: As solution, policy and rhetoric’. The analysis suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic represented a platform to highlight the value, philosophy, process and day-to-day activity of scientific research. However, the study also identified risks the pandemic might pose to science communication, including feeding public alienation by disparaging lay understandings, reinforcing stereotypical images of scientists, and amplifying the politicisation of scientific statements.

【 授权许可】

Unknown