Local TV News Coverage of Racial Disparities in COVID-19 During the First Wave of the Pandemic, March

Local TV News Coverage of Racial Disparities in COVID-19 During the First Wave of the Pandemic, March–June 2020

Published:2022-07-15 Issue:2 Volume:15 Page:201-213
ISSN:1867-1748
Container-title:Race and Social Problems
language:en
Short-container-title:Race Soc Probl

Author:

Xu Yiwei^ORCID,Farkouh Elizabeth K.,Dunetz Caroline A.,Varanasi Sravya L.,Mathews Sophia,Gollust Sarah E.,Fowler Erika Franklin,Moore Steven,Lewis Neil A.,Niederdeppe Jeff

Abstract

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted health and social outcomes for people of color in the United States. This study examined how local TV news stories attributed causes and solutions for COVID-19-related racial health and social disparities, and whether coverage of such disparities changed after George Floyd’s murder, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We systematically validated keywords to extract relevant news content and conducted a content analysis of 169 discrete local TV news stories aired between March and June 2020 from 80 broadcast networks within 22 purposefully selected media markets. We found that social determinants of COVID-19 related racial disparities have been part of the discussion in local TV news, but racism as a public health crisis was rarely mentioned. Coverage of racial disparities focused far more attention on physical health outcomes than broader social impacts. Stories cited more structural factors than individual factors, as causes of these disparities. After the murder of George Floyd, stories were more likely to mention Black and Latinx people than other populations impacted by COVID-19. Only 9% of local news stories referenced racism, and stories referenced politicians more frequently than public health experts.

Funder

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Sociology and Political Science,Anthropology

Link

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12552-022-09372-5.pdf

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