Reporting of COVID-19 Pandemic on Facebook

Abstract

As our dependency on social media and other forms of media continues to increase every day, we are increasingly reliant upon them for our cognitive and informational needs. To us, not only it acts as a medium and source for reliable information regarding domestic and international development, but has also become one of the major sources for health information, particularly for the youth that has joined online communities for discourse on their health concerns. However, it must be understood that whenever any information is dispersed to the audience, it is always presented through specific frames that highlight a specific meaning, in a specific context to project and collect a collective response from the audience. It is important to study these frames, especially in the context of the recent lockdowns, to ensure that there are no social and psychological impacts in case of improper framing. At the same time, the research was also meant to shed light upon the potential of social media as a potential medium of dissemination tailored health communication by health authorities. It was observed that there was active discussion regarding preventive measures and treatment methods as people continued to engage with each other after the pandemic. It was also observed that there was that if there is an absence of credible official information, a vacuum is created that is exploited by rumors which can hamper the efforts of governments to contain the threat of the epidemic, leading people to create their own content regarding the situation at hand. Hence, we can see that media framing and tones used by media organizations for reporting and covering the COVID-19 pandemic can play an essential role in disseminating health information, shaping public narrative and ultimately contributing to the curbing of the disease.