COVID-19 AND MEDIA EFFECTS
Different opinions about the Covid-19 pandemic were no doubt shaped by the media. Political rhetoric displayed across cable news channels played an important role in how individuals on lockdown perceived the coronavirus outbreak. MSNBC, CNN, and FOX NEWS are three of the major cable news channels Americans went to for direction. Insights provided by the Pew Research Center's study indicate priming effects influencing attitudes towards media coverage and reactions from the government.
Priming is a process in which media emphasis causes people to assign weights to particular issues when they make summary political evaluations (Dunaway and Graber 2022). Political agendas and rhetoric impact an individual's judgments and actions. For example, someone primed by conservative media, like FOX NEWS, would be doubtful of government intervention and how the media covered the virus. They may judge coverage of the pandemic as excessive and intrusive. 79% of FOX NEWS viewers say the media exaggerated the risks posed by the pandemic (Jurkowitz and Mitchell 2020). Viewers primed by a more liberal perspective from media sources like MSNBC and CNN tend to probe the government's response time and may collectively participate in actions to " flatten the curve".
The priming process affects how individuals view and trust government officials, especially during a crisis like the coronavirus outbreak. Priming intensifies the division of political discussions because individuals stick to their established ideologies and beliefs. Cable news networks like MSNBC, CNN, and FOX NEWS prime the perspective viewers to interpret information through left-leaning or right-leaning lenses. Being able to identify this process will allow us to recognize political rhetoric and agenda-setting through these media outlets.
Dunaway, Johanna, and Doris A. Graber. Mass Media and American Politics. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, (11th Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US), 2022.
Jurkowitz, Mark, and Amy Mitchell. 2020. “Cable TV and Coronavirus: How Americans Perceive the Outbreak and View Media Coverage Differ by Main News Source.” Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project. April 1, 2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/04/01/cable-tv-and-covid-19-how-americans-perceive-the-outbreak-and-view-media-coverage-differ-by-main-news-source/.
I remember switching from news channel to news channel trying to find the most accurate information during COVID-19. It was quite frustrating, and it makes sense that priming was an influence in how these channels were reporting on information. I appreciate your emphasis on this factor, as it is important for us to be aware of these influences so that we can find the most objective information! Great post!
ReplyDeleteThinking back to the early days of the pandemic and the sheer lack of information is frustrating. Even before I knew what priming was, I wondered how the information across networks differed. It made me wonder how that was impacting the effectiveness of the precautions some of us were taking. The great divide covid caused was crazy to see in real time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amanda, it was always hard to know what was true information and what wasn't. The news networks were constantly priming the viewer to believe one thing. If you went to a conservative station, the virus wasn't as bad as people were making it out to be. Then you have the liberal networks that were saying it was bad but the government was trying to flatten the curve. It was so hard to know what was true that I personally stopped watching the news.
ReplyDeleteEarly COVID-19 was one of the most frustrating times for anybody trying to get reliable information. I feel like I can remember hearing different information with each news channel, and it was even worse with the gaining popularity of TikTok. Many “doctors” or “nurses” (we can never be sure) were going online and posting, causing a whirlwind of panic. I personally chose to not listen to much besides the basic “wear a mask” and “keep six feet”. Otherwise, I think I might’ve gone a little insane.
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