To what extent scientists (or experts) were featured in the News24 coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a surge in news consumption. Therefore, coverage of the coronavirus has to be tailored in a way that people can understand it. With newsrooms shrinking, journalists need to consider which sources they use as sources add credibility and facts to a story. Through sampling of content over a four month period, the research sought to find the intersection of journalism and science in South Africa’s most frequented online news site during the coronavirus pandemic period. The study addressed how News24 selected sources heard in the media over a four months period. It also analysed to what effect the media selected these sources to interview by adopting the sociology of news production theory and the agenda setting one. This study is significant because in complex matters such as a pandemic, the scientific voices present in the media have the ability to shape the agenda and foster understanding on the pandemic. To arrive at the results, the study reviewed bodies of literature relating to scientists and journalists and the contestation between the entities. It further looked at health journalism and the difficulties associated with it. The theoretical framework constituted a triangulation of theories. These included the agenda setting and gatekeeping theories, sources and the sociology of news production and journalism and science. Data was derived from News24 and subjected to a quantitative content analysis research method. The results indicate that official sources were the most prominently used by News24. General sources such as people in the workforce or students appeared more as sources than scientists. Scientists featured less than 30 percent of the time but more research must be conducted to understand why. Official sources were likely to be easier to contact as restrictions on movement and need for fast stories affected which sources were selected.