Abstract
This chapter presents an exploration of ethical issues arising in the news media coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. This chapter is about key ethical challenges faced by journalists and the evolution of guidance provided for journalists beyond the scope of current codes of journalism ethics. The chapter discusses these issues through the life cycle of the news media drawing on ethics resources as needed. It argues for clearer guidance for journalists reporting health, reviews of journalists’ codes of ethics to embed specific values and advice for covering health news, and enhanced employer support for staff and freelance journalists.
Keywords
- Journalism ethics
- Global media
- Agenda setting
- Framing
- Social constructionism
- Disinformation
- Misinformation
- Covid
- Coronavirus
- Pandemic
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Notes
- 1.
Muller, Coronavirus is a Huge Story, so Journalists Must Apply the Highest Ethical Standards in How They Tell It. Wahl-Jorgensen, Coronavirus: How Media Coverage of Epidemics Often Stokes Fear and Panic.
- 2.
Wardle and Derakhshan, Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policymaking, 9.
- 3.
Waszak, Kasprzycka-Waszak and Kubanek, The Spread of Medical Fake News in Social Media.
- 4.
Zarocostas, How to Fight an Infodemic, 676.
- 5.
Ittefaq, Hussain, and Fatima, COVID-19 and Social-politics of Medical Misinformation on Social Media in Pakistan.
- 6.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19.”
- 7.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust? Five Things Everybody Needs to Know about the Future of Journalism.
- 8.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19.”
- 9.
Pullicino, COVID-19: The Impact on News Media.
- 10.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19.”
- 11.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust?
- 12.
Mohanty, Media Coverage of COVID-19: An Analysis of Four National Newspapers in India. Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus.
- 13.
Nwakpu, Ezema and Ogbodo, Nigeria Media Framing of Coronavirus Pandemic and Audience Response.
- 14.
Nielsen et al., Navigating the ‘Infodemic’: How People in Six Countries Access and Rate News and Information About Coronavirus.
- 15.
Walsh-Childers, Mass Media and Health: Examining Media Impact on Individuals and the Health Environment.
- 16.
Bonfiglioli & Cullen, Health Journalism – Evolution and Innovation in the Digital Age; Spinner, Covering COVID-19: A Health Check for Science Journalism.
- 17.
Ward, What is Global Media Ethics? Chapter 1, this volume.
- 18.
Ibid.
- 19.
Accountable Journalism, Codes of Ethics.
- 20.
Ward, What is Global Media Ethics?
- 21.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, COVID-19: Governments Must Promote and Protect Access To and Free Flow of Information During Pandemic.
- 22.
Shapiro, Newman & Slaughter, Journalists and Safety Training: Experiences and Opinions.
- 23.
Ibid.
- 24.
Skehan, Burns and Hazell, The Response Ability Project: Integrating the Reporting of Suicide and Mental Illness into Journalism Curricula.
- 25.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- 26.
Pullicino, COVID-19: The Impact on News Media.
- 27.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust? Dobbie, The War on Journalism.
- 28.
Pullicino, COVID-19: The Impact on News Media.
- 29.
Ibid.
- 30.
Farhall et al., Political Elites’ Use of Fake News Discourse Across Communications Platforms.
- 31.
Philips, “Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro says Coronavirus Crisis is a Media Trick.”
- 32.
Dobbie, The War on Journalism.
- 33.
Zhu, Is it Ethical to be a ‘Whistleblower’ During COVID-19 Pandemic?
- 34.
Broad and Levin, ‘Trump Muses about Light as Remedy, but also Disinfectant, which is Dangerous.”
- 35.
Ibid.
- 36.
Bernadas and Ilagan, Journalism, Public Health, and COVID-19: Some Preliminary Insights from the Philippines.
- 37.
Pullicino, COVID-19: The Impact on News Media.
- 38.
Christensen and Laegreid, The Coronavirus Crisis—Crisis Communication, Meaning-making, and Reputation Management; Rajkhowa, COVID-19 Dissensus in Australia: Negotiating Uncertainty in Public Health Communication and Media Commentary on a Pandemic; Simons, One Hundred Days of Andrews’ Press Conferences: What Do They Tell Us About Journalism?
- 39.
Pullicino, COVID-19: The Impact on News Media.
- 40.
Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus; Chowdhury, Tips for Journalists Covering COVID-19; Pan American Health Organization, COVID-19 An Informative Guide. Advice for Journalists.
- 41.
Brennen et al., Types, Sources, and Claims of COVID-19 Misinformation.
- 42.
Chowdhury, Tips for Journalists Covering COVID-19; Pan American Health Organization, COVID-19 An Informative Guide Advice for journalists; Mertz, Champion, and Serrie, Global Journalist: From Ebola to COVID; Wahl-Jorgensen et al., Advice for Journalists Covering Covid-19.
- 43.
Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus.
- 44.
Hermida, Filtering Fact from Fiction: A Verification Framework for Social Media.
- 45.
Peter and Zerback, “Ordinary Citizens in the News: A Conceptual Framework.”
- 46.
Ibid.
- 47.
Ibid.
- 48.
Ibid.
- 49.
Lupton, Archetypes of Infection: People with HIV/AIDS in the Australian Press in the Mid-1990s.
- 50.
Wardle and Derakhshan, 9.
- 51.
Stroud, “Pragmatist Media Ethics and the Challenges of Fake News.”
- 52.
Brennen et al., Types, Sources, and Claims of COVID-19 Misinformation.
- 53.
Waszak, Kasprzycka-Waszak, and Kubanek, “The Spread of Medical Fake News in Social Media–the Pilot Quantitative Study.”
- 54.
Tardáguila, “Three Falsehoods About COVID-19 That Must Be Killed, And How You Can Help.”
- 55.
Kovach and Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect.
- 56.
Stroud, “Pragmatist Media Ethics and the Challenges of Fake News.”
- 57.
Ibid.
- 58.
Pan American Health Organization.
- 59.
Walker, “Preparing Students for the Fight Against False Information With Visual Verification and Open Source Reporting.”
- 60.
Jones and Helmreich, “A History of Herd Immunity.”
- 61.
Kovach and Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism.
- 62.
Wahl-Jorgensen, “Coronavirus: How Media Coverage of Epidemics often Stokes Fear and Panic.”
- 63.
Ibid.
- 64.
Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus.
- 65.
Ogbodo, et al, Communicating Health Crisis: a Content Analysis of Global Media Framing of COVID-19.
- 66.
Park et al., COVID-19: Australian News and Misinformation.
- 67.
Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus; Pan American Health Organization.
- 68.
World Health Organization.
- 69.
Bonfiglioli,Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus.
- 70.
Tompkins, “How Newsrooms can Tone Down their Coronavirus Coverage while still Reporting Responsibly.”
- 71.
Shahriar and Junaid, “The Discourse of Fear around Health and Economy in Pakistani English Newspaper Articles on Covid-19.”
- 72.
World Health Organization.
- 73.
Ransing et al., “Infectious Disease Outbreak Related Stigma and Discrimination During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Drivers, Facilitators, Manifestations and Outcomes across the World.”
- 74.
Lupton, 49.
- 75.
World Health Organization.
- 76.
Ibid.
- 77.
Ransing et al, “Infectious Disease Outbreak Related Stigma and Discrimination During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 556.
- 78.
Ibid.
- 79.
Ibid.
- 80.
Ibid.
- 81.
Wahl-Jorgensen et al, Advice for Journalists Covering Covid-19.
- 82.
Chowdhury, Tips for Journalists Covering COVID-19.
- 83.
Bonfiglioli, Responsible Journalismin a Time of Coronavirus; McBride, “When Should You Name COVID-19 Patients and Other Ethical Decisions U.S. Newsrooms Will Face This Week.”
- 84.
Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance, The MEAA Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
- 85.
Australian Press Council, “Statement of Principles.”
- 86.
Muller, Coronavirus is a Huge Story; Wahlquist, Doctor Who Had Coronavirus Demands Apology from Victorian Health Minister over ‘Inaccuracies.’
- 87.
Shields, “After 10 Days of Hell, Take It From Me: You Don’t Want To Catch This Virus.”
- 88.
Ransing, “Infectious Disease Outbreak.”
- 89.
Chiu and Chuang, “COVID-19 Coronavirus Racism Incident Report: Reporting Racism Against Asians in Australia Rising Due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.”
- 90.
Ibid.
- 91.
Ibid.
- 92.
Ibid.
- 93.
Ransing, “Infectious Disease Outbreak.”
- 94.
Abbas, “Politicizing the Pandemic: A Schemata Analysis of COVID-19 News in Two Selected Newspapers.”
- 95.
Tyler and Liu, “Great Power Blame Game: The Ongoing War of Words Over COVID-19.”
- 96.
Andersen, et al., “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
- 97.
Calisher, et al., “Statement in Support of the Scientists, Public Health Professionals, and Medical Professionals of China Combatting COVID-19.”
- 98.
Sherwell, “Virus Mutates into US Import as Beijing Tries to Shift Blame.”
- 99.
Jaworsky and Qiaoan, “The Politics of Blaming: the Narrative Battle between China and the US over COVID-19.”
- 100.
Muller, Coronavirus is a Huge Story.
- 101.
Smee and Meade, “Naming Brisbane Women Risks ‘a Second Wave of Covid-related Racial Hostility’: Commission.”
- 102.
Australian Press Council, “Statement of General Principles.”
- 103.
Smee and Meade, “Naming Brisbane Women Risks ‘a Second Wave of Covid-related Racial Hostility’: Commission.”
- 104.
Cameron, McKay and Ransley, “Hunt for Missing Link between Logan, Brisbane Clusters.”
- 105.
Smee and Meade, “Naming Brisbane Women Risks ‘a Second Wave of Covid-related Racial Hostility’: Commission.”
- 106.
Muller; Cameron, McKay, and Marszalek, “Hotspot Trio lied to Cross Border.”
- 107.
Smee and Meade, “Naming Brisbane Women Risks ‘a Second Wave of Covid-related Racial Hostility’: Commission.”
- 108.
Ibid.
- 109.
Chowdhury, Tips for Journalists Covering COVID-19.
- 110.
Chain, “Third ‘border jumper’ who Sparked Fears of a Second Wave of COVID-19 in Queensland is Granted Bail and will face Court along with her Two Friends who ‘lied their way into the state from Victoria’ before Testing Positive.”
- 111.
Ward and Wasserman, “Open Ethics: Towards a Global Media Ethics of Listening.”
- 112.
Smee and Meade, “Naming Brisbane Women Risks ‘a Second Wave of Covid-related Racial Hostility: Commission.’”
- 113.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust? 17.
- 114.
Khairy, “Applying the Four Models of Science Journalism to the Publics’ Interaction with Coronavirus News,” 82.
- 115.
Ibid.
- 116.
Kovach and Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism.
- 117.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19,” 38.
- 118.
Griffen-Foley, “From Tit-Bits to Big Brother: A Century of Audience Participation in the Media,” 533.
- 119.
Newman, Mainstream Media and the Distribution of News in the Age of Social Discovery.
- 120.
Ibid.
- 121.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust? 17.
- 122.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19,” 40.
- 123.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19.” Ward and Wasserman, “Open Ethics,” 840.
- 124.
Nielsen and Selva, More Important, but Less Robust? 17.
- 125.
Radcliffe, “The Publisher’s Guide to Navigating COVID-19.”
- 126.
Ward and Wasserman, “Open Ethics.”
- 127.
Ward, Disrupting Journalism Ethics: Radical Change on the Frontier of Digital Media.
- 128.
Ward, Disrupting Journalism Ethics: Radical Change on the Frontier of Digital Media, 89.
- 129.
Ward, Disrupting Journalism Ethics: Radical Change on the Frontier of Digital Media, 93.
- 130.
Ittefaq, Hussain, and Fatima, COVID-19 and Social-politics of Medical Misinformation on Social Media in Pakistan.
- 131.
Wharf Higgins and Begoray, “Exploring the Borderlands between Media and Health: Conceptualizing Critical Media Health Literacy.”
- 132.
Luce, Jackson, and Thorsen, “Citizen Journalism at the Margins;” Davis, “Citizen Health Journalism: Negotiating Between Political Engagement and Professional Identity in a Media Training Program for Healthcare Workers;” Mihailidis and Gamwell, “Designing Engagement in Local News: Using FOIA Requests to Create Inclusive Participatory Journalism Practices.”
- 133.
Ward, DisruptingJournalism Ethics.
- 134.
Posetti, Bell, and Brown, Journalism& thePandemic: AGlobalSnapshot of Impacts.
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the following for practical support, useful references, and collegial encouragement: Ian Richards, Marie McKenzie, JERAA, Lisa Edser, Andrew Hystek-Dunk, and colleagues at UTS, especially those in the library.
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Bonfiglioli, C. (2021). Global Media Ethics and the Covid-19 Pandemic. In: Ward, S.J.A. (eds) Handbook of Global Media Ethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32103-5_42
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