Media coverage of the Covid-19 crisis: recommendations and proposals for self-regulation

Abstract

This paper aims to present, analyze, and compare the main deontological recommendations published by various international institutions and organizations since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. A total of 10 codes were identified from the period between February and April 2020, during which the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Additionally, three general and transnational model deontological texts published before the crisis have been included in this analysis. The methodology used in this paper includes a content analysis based on four categories corresponding to the fundamental pillars of most deontological codes: truth, freedom, responsibility, and justice. Furthermore, this paper determines the most common ethical guidelines and criteria presented in all the analyzed texts and, with the goal of helping information and journalistic professionals, these guidelines are used as a reference point to propose an outline of recommendations for the responsible coverage of the Covid-19 crisis.