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- Volume 13, Issue 2, 2021
Journal of African Media Studies - Media and the Coronavirus Pandemic in Africa (Part One), Jun 2021
Media and the Coronavirus Pandemic in Africa (Part One), Jun 2021
- Introduction
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- Articles
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The societal importance of journalistic health reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa: Impressions from science and health journalism organizations
More LessThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health systems and economies around the world. This is particularly true for developing and newly industrialized countries that often have to deal with poverty and inadequate health systems. A greater awareness of COVID-19 and its consequences, generated and fostered by journalistic health reporting, may contribute to better preparations. The societal importance of journalistic health reporting and its challenges in sub-Saharan societies during the pandemic are examined. A qualitative research design relying on interviews with representatives of African science and health journalism organizations is employed. The results show that health reporting during health crises can provide a variety of normative functions of journalism in democracies and in autocratic developing and newly industrialized countries, but it presents many challenges for journalists and media houses. COVID-19 also offers starting points for global media assistance in strengthening and improving health reporting in the long term.
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Communication lapses to combating COVID-19 pandemic: Evaluating Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign
Authors: Jacob Nyarko, Michael Yao Wodui Serwornoo and Benedine AzanuCOVID-19 is described as ‘novel’ largely because the virus has rarely been studied. Without any vaccine, the key to containing the virus was the timely delivery of educative public health information to people. With a population of 29 million composed of small urban segments, Ghana has enormous rural enclaves where most of her citizens live. This study seeks to explore the nature of Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign, focusing on the communication strategies and the extent to which indigenous communication tools (ICTs) have been employed. Relying on document analysis, Ghana’s COVID-19 campaign rarely deployed ICTs but rather paid lip service to the country’s indigenous resources in public addresses to the nation. It also found that the fight against the virus metamorphosed into political campaigns making WHO’s vital information subservient to images of political figures and political iconography in general. We argue that the nature of the campaign created generalized awareness of the pandemic, but did less to educate the masses on the WHO preventive protocols.
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Communicating COVID-19 to rural dwellers: Revisiting the role of traditional media in crisis communication
Authors: Ezinne Abaneme, Chinedu Nwasum, Oscar Chima, Ogbonnanya Elechi and Ngozi UdumaThe recording of the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria prompted the government to activate emergency communication strategies across the country. This study examines the awareness of the COVID-19 virus amongst rural dwellers and the importance of traditional media in health crisis communication amongst the residents of Ebonyi state. An adult sample size of 95 persons (32 male and 63 female) was assessed. The study adopts an in-depth interview as the research design. Data were generated using an interview guide and analysed thematically. The results show that rural dwellers are aware of the virus and the compliance level is high. There is a huge dependence on traditional media like town crier as the source of information amongst rural dwellers. The present study highlights the need to include rural dwellers in crisis communication planning and the integration of traditional media in future crisis communication planning.
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Fear-arousing persuasive communication and behaviour change: COVID-19 in Kenya
More LessWith the absence of immunological, pharmacological or any other known medical interventions, the change in norms, behaviour and attitude of the public remains the only possible way that may be considered for prevention and suppression of COVID-19. This disease, which has morphed into a global pandemic, has mobilized outrageous outpouring action worldwide. Despite international and local media attention coupled with overwhelming new facts replete with misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 from many channels; including interpersonal and social media, efforts to scale up control measures have yielded mixed results. The government and Kenyan media have reported several cases in which the public and leaders flouted these measures thus putting themselves at risk of contracting or spreading the virus. The overarching question is: does fear-arousing communication really matter in behaviour change particularly during a global pandemic of the magnitude of COVID-19? This qualitative study therefore examined the effects of COVID-19 messages on health behaviour change among residents living in the Municipality of Busia, one of the towns that have recorded the highest incidences of confirmed COVID-19 cases as informed by the Extended Parallel Process and Health Belief behavioural change models. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were carried out to establish threat and coping appraisal as a result of COVID-19 messages received from different sources. The study employed a risk behaviour diagnosis assessment that focused on two components of health risk messages, that is, threat and recommended response that addresses efficacy issues. This study found out that despite universal knowledge of COVID-19 and prevention methods, perceived threat especially perceived vulnerability to the virus was low due to misinformation, disinformation and disjointed communication.
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‘You can’t arrest a virus’: The freedom of expression crisis within Egypt’s response to COVID-19
More LessThe article discusses the freedom of expression crisis that characterized the authoritarian response of the Egyptian government to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the case study of the expulsion of the foreign correspondent for The Guardian over contested outbreak data, the article argues that authorities in Egypt exploited the pandemic for political ends by silencing critics and by manipulating the public opinion.
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A systematic review of the spread of information during pandemics: A case of the 2020 COVID-19 virus
More LessThe 2020 COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic represents a severe threat to the continent of Africa – to its people, its fauna (as COVID-19 can spread to non-human creatures and human respiratory diseases are often deadly to other primates) and its economy. The context of Africa is unique in its relation to COVID-19 in that Africa has recently suffered from – and still suffers from – severe viral epidemics of HIV and Ebola virus, which creates both more significant vulnerabilities and relevant experience combatting viruses. Within the pandemic, there is a secondary ‘infodemic’ of misinformation which has served to complicate and worsen the effects of COVID-19 itself by undermining the public health measures necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. The purpose of this strategic review of recently published and relevant literature was to assess initial response to pandemics on the continent of Africa, in order to identify how the conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation related to COVID-19 may be identified and mitigated throughout the coming months and years and suggest a research agenda for better informing these issues. The study took the form of a systematic review of the literature relating to COVID-19 misinformation in Africa, especially as it relates to prior viral epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Ebola virus. This research is significant as it sheds light on potential means of mitigating the spread of disinformation, and therefore saving lives as we move through this ongoing pandemic.
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COVID-19 containment and control: Information source credibility and adoption of prevention strategies among residents in South West Nigeria
Authors: Mustapha Adeniyi Adeitan, Ngozi Joy Onyechi and Ozioma OmahThe outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has generated unprecedented information on preventive strategies aimed at containment and control of the disease. This study examined the relationship between perceived credibility of information sources and adoption of COVID-19 preventive strategies among residents in South West Nigeria. The study adopted Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), while online survey and in-depth interview (IDI) were employed as the research designs. Convenience and purposive sampling procedures were used in the selection of 259 respondents and ten participants who were 18 years and above. Data were generated using questionnaire and interview guide. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple bootstrapping comparison test were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were transcribed and direct quotations that represented the participants’ opinions were used for the analysis. Key findings showed that expertise and trustworthiness determined the credibility of information sources while television was perceived as the most credible source of information. A significant relationship exists between perceived credibility of information sources and adoption of preventive measures. These findings highlight the need for preventive strategies to be disseminated through credible information sources.
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Exploring COVID-19 infodemic in rural Africa: A case study of Chintheche, Malawi
More LessWhile the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which causes COVID-19) has triggered a worldwide frenzied race to find a vaccine or cure, another battle is raging against technological, medicinal, religious, geopolitical and other infodemics. A two-legged qualitative study in Chintheche, a small rural town in Malawi, Africa, was conducted to explore how the residents there perceived and navigated COVID-19 amidst all the infodemic. The first leg of the study concluded that the interviewees were aware and knowledgeable about COVID-19, and the health impact it posed, but nearly half of them doubted its presence in Malawi. The second leg found that participants no longer doubted COVID-19’s presence in Malawi as some prominent people they knew in their locality had either died or been hospitalized with the disease. The study concludes that only evidence of pandemics getting closer to home may change people’s dismissive attitudes and moderate their behaviours.
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Influence of conspiracy theories, misinformation and knowledge on public adoption of Nigerian government’s COVID-19 containment policies
This study examined the individual and collective influence of conspiracy theories, misinformation and knowledge revolving around COVID-19, on public adoption of the Nigerian government’s containment policies. The study adopted the Survey, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methods. For the survey, a sample of 466 respondents were drawn from Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, while 24 participants were selected for the FGD. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and thematic approach were used to analyse data generated from the study. Results revealed a COVID-19 conspiratorial thinking among survey respondents and FGD participants, who were also familiar with the orgy of unbridled dissemination of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the social media space. Majority of respondents were knowledgeable about government’s COVID-19 containment policies and were practicing the recommended safety measures. Their decision was influenced by trust in opinion leaders, especially family members and medical experts.
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‘Fake news’ or trust in authorities? The problems of uncertainty at a time of medical crisis
By Ian GlennThis article examines the complex boundaries between ‘fake news’, speculation, hypothesis, gossip and whistleblowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows that apparently authoritative sources and experts gave information or policy recommendations that have turned out to be wrong, sometimes dangerously so, and explores the kinds of bias that enter medical advice and planning decisions. The article then diagnoses a WhatsApp voice-note from a young South African doctor that went viral and was denounced as ‘fake news’ because of obvious errors. This note, however, revealed behind the scenes medical thinking about subjects that professional bodies and authorities usually avoid discussing publicly. In highlighting what apparently authoritative sources omit and distort, the article suggests that journalists should report medical advice, even from authoritative sources, with caution and shows that apparently ‘fake’ news may reveal issues other news sources neglect.
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