- Khalid Khan
Coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID – 19, a sign of threat and fear that paralyzed the world, economically and socially causing disaster ahead as warned by WHO. The ruthless pandemic will surely bring the world in new order, with pre and post corona era. As of 16th April 2020 WHO official state, pandemic of acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 has surrounded the whole world, with effecting more than 2.1 million population of mankind, 137,053 deaths and 0.5 million recoveries. Spreading among humans, sneezing, coughing, and talking are major sources. Medical experts and officials emphasizing more and more to avoid social contact, the crowdie places and shaking hands, also restricts from touching nose, face, mouth and eyes unnecessarily.
Global disruption has brought by COVID-19, suspension of sports, cultural, and religious activities, followed by supply shortage fear creating more panic and socioeconomic issues leading to conspiracies as well. Despite many conspiracies the experts and analyst stated, that (SARS- CoV-2) is not proven as originated from some laboratory or may be spread intentionally. Since first reported patient was from Wuhan, Hubei province of China.
Media is a powerful and influencing force, this strong pillar focused more on real and fake news about COVID-19. The disinformation and rumors about conspiracy theories, which hit the peaks of hate, racism, fear and panic and rise in business of pharmaceutical companies. The disinformation spread more quickly than virus itself and created much panic in public. Even the Director General of World Health Organization requested to stand against the disinformation and conspiracy theories which caused confusion. Creating an alternative way and interactive platform to provide real time alerts of rumors and concerns about COVID-19. The nonexistence of any kind of vaccine for this pandemic, there are very few guidelines with the concept of quarantine and social distancing followed by lockdown can only be communicated through media, with a vital role playing element of society. Media in three different ways of Print, electronic and social media, can play vital role in following the precautions.
Indeed, the role of Media remains positive and encouraging. At the time once there is global cut down, the Travel authorities are shut down and no movement has been observed. The element which supported and informed the public quarantined in homes, is media that includes: –
Source of providing real information
g Try to minimize the panic situation
To guide and update the current status of victims
g To educate about the safety measure
g Communicate the precautions and guidelines given by the health organizations.
g To become the voice of All those passengers stuck away from their localities
However, exaggeration and false coverage was also observed in both international and national media outlets, which resulted: –
g Create panic and disinformation
g Frighten and threaten the Public maximum
g Spread much discrimination and conspiracy theories
g Unfortunately, no proper guideline provided by the media outlets.
A video became viral, where a young Chinese woman apparently in Wuhan biting a bat having chopstick in her hand, media outlets from Daily Mail to RT was excitedly prompting the video with some other extremist bloggers, video got viral with hash tag “dirty” Chinese eating habits. The video was initiated from an online show of Palau, pacific island nation and viral in USA and Europe. It is about the eating habits of Asians specially the Chinese. The narrative was the sequence of “New York Daily Tribune 1954” Chinese are dirty and carries disease. Moreover, the market in China known for animal sale has marked as the cause of this pandemic and closed by the chines government. The recent scientific study shows there was no signs of victims in early patients in china, although the virus do exist in bats but is still not cleared how it travelled to human beings.
French Newspaper on 26th Jan 2020 published a story about corona with the headline, “The Yellow Peril” which was highly criticized, and later apologized from the newspaper. Same was done by a German weekly magazine, and faced similar criticism, while publishing an Asian man wearing a protective suit and mask, looking at his phone the headline was “Made in China when globalization become a deadline danger.”
In India COVID-19 pandemic issue was unfortunately associated with Muslims that reported torture till deaths. Hate exists in current Indian Govt. headed by Narendra Modi, New York Times published in recent article, Indian health minister repeatedly blamed an Islamic seminary (The jammat) for spreading this virus, the hate speeches and massages were bloomed followed by fake videos by the Indian media just to create fuss against Muslims.
The study showed more than 50% Americans are following the electronic media just to remain updated, survey was conducted in mid of March, as the pandemic was not much crucial in United States. The news media was marked high in COVID-19 crises by most of the viewers, but few always thinks that electronic media is much in exaggerating the pandemic. As the conspiracies always exists, the Russian, Iranian and Chines media believed in initial stages that, this virus is a part of US Biological warfare, things were more propagated by the Chines state media about US Military troops participation in some competition in China, they called those soldiers as carrier of this virus. Talking about Pakistan Electronic media, the stories of COVID 19 has made it the headlines across all news channels, primetime news shows has brought the issue in high lines and made it as public interest issue. The Newsrooms priority converted to get reports, updates and guidelines received from hospitals and sharing with public.
Framing of COVID 19 on social media platform, both in political and health spheres, controversies were propagated and discussed as virus is part of Biological Warfare, Symptoms are created by 5G technology, a trade war between USA and China. Virus name disseminated with hash tags on twitter and few other social media sites, just to propagate it for some panic purpose as well.
Overall the sense of responsibility shown by the trusted media cannot be ignored specially to counter the disinformation and give narratives of different health experts and organizations for safety measures.
