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
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 s...
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doaj-cd0d42ce41e94b7a8da733656b376c6b2021-09-26T00:18:07ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-09-01189542954210.3390/ijerph18189542Media Representations of Science during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of News and Social Media on the Island of IrelandCliodhna O’Connor0Nicola O’Connell1Emma Burke2Ann Nolan3Martin Dempster4Christopher D. Graham5Gail Nicolson6Joseph Barry7Gabriel Scally8Philip Crowley9Lina Zgaga10Luke Mather11Catherine D. Darker12School of Psychology, University College Dublin, D04 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandTrinity Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5BN, UKSchool of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5BN, UKDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UKQuality Improvement, Health Service Executive, D08 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandDiscipline of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, D02 Dublin, IrelandCOVID-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.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9542COVID-19coronaviruspandemicsciencenews medianewspapers |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Cliodhna O’Connor Nicola O’Connell Emma Burke Ann Nolan Martin Dempster Christopher D. Graham Gail Nicolson Joseph Barry Gabriel Scally Philip Crowley Lina Zgaga Luke Mather Catherine D. Darker |
spellingShingle |
Cliodhna O’Connor Nicola O’Connell Emma Burke Ann Nolan Martin Dempster Christopher D. Graham Gail Nicolson Joseph Barry Gabriel Scally Philip Crowley Lina Zgaga Luke Mather Catherine D. Darker 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 COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic science news media newspapers |
author_facet |
Cliodhna O’Connor Nicola O’Connell Emma Burke Ann Nolan Martin Dempster Christopher D. Graham Gail Nicolson Joseph Barry Gabriel Scally Philip Crowley Lina Zgaga Luke Mather Catherine D. Darker |
author_sort |
Cliodhna O’Connor |
title |
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 |
title_short |
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 |
title_full |
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 |
title_fullStr |
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 |
title_full_unstemmed |
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 |
title_sort |
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 |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2021-09-01 |
description |
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. |
topic |
COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic science news media newspapers |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9542 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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