Covering Covid-19
The Coronavirus Pandemic as a Critical Moment for Digital Journalism
- 260 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Covering Covid-19
The Coronavirus Pandemic as a Critical Moment for Digital Journalism
About this book
This book explores the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, framing it as a "critical moment" for digital journalism, examining how journalistic practices, content and audiences were shaped by the crisis.
Featuring a global range of original research projects, using an array of research methods, the volume shows that the pandemic has transformed digital journalism in both temporary and lasting ways. In terms of the practices of journalists, remote working shifted journalists away from on-the-ground reporting, increasing dependence on elite and state sources. Press freedom faced growing threats, particularly in authoritarian contexts. In terms of news content, data journalism gained increased salience as a source of journalistic authority, while sourcing patterns shifted as official sources and health experts came to predominate. For audiences, several studies published here demonstrated increased consumption of TV, social media, and online news. Audience responses to the crisis ranged from extensive news-seeking to news avoidance. Social media became a key news source, but also fostered "dark participation" on fringe platforms like 8kun and Gab, creating a parallel information ecosystem dominated by low-credibility actors.
This volume is essential reading for scholars and students in media and journalism studies seeking a comprehensive understanding of how the pandemic reshaped digital journalism.
The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Digital Journalism.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Citation Information
- Notes on Contributors
- Introduction: The Coronavirus Pandemic as a Critical Moment for Digital Journalism
- 1 Does a Crisis Change News Habits? A Comparative Study of the Effects of COVID-19 on News Media Use in 17 European Countries
- 2 Journalism as Usual? Managing Disruption in Virtual Newsrooms during the COVID-19 Crisis
- 3 Sourcing Pandemic News: A Cross-National Computational Analysis of Mainstream Media Coverage of COVID-19 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
- 4 News Avoidance during the Covid-19 Crisis: Understanding Information Overload
- 5 Data “Objectivity” in a Time of Coronavirus: Uncovering the Potential Impact of State Influence on the Production of Data-Driven News
- 6 Conceptualizing “Dark Platforms”. Covid-19-Related Conspiracy Theories on 8kun and Gab
- 7 ‘Lockdown’ on Digital Journalism? Mapping Threats to Press Freedom during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis
- 8 “Flatten the Curve”: Data-Driven Projections and the Journalistic Brokering of Knowledge during the COVID-19 Crisis
- 9 The Reconfiguration of News Work in Southern Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 10 Competing Frames and Melodrama: The Effects of Facebook Posts on Policy Preferences about COVID-19
- 11 Making Sense of Pandemic-Induced Changes in Journalism and Beyond
- Index