The requirements of ethical journalism: An analysis of COVID-19 related news coverage by South African print and online media

Abstract

The media provides people with medical scienYfic informaYon during a health crisis. This funcYon of the media is even more crucial when there are lockdown restricYons as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies of media coverage of pandemics show that reporYng was generally negaYve in that the stories were of an alarmist nature and there were high levels of sensaYonalism. The compromised standards of reporYng could be a`ributed to the need for print and online news media outlets to a`ract audiences and increase profits given the bad state of the economy, parYcularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyse the extent to which the South African print and online media met the requirements of ethical journalism, as set out in the South African Press Code, in their reporYng on COVID-19. The researcher uYlised a mixed methods approach as the study includes both qualitaYve and quanYtaYve aspects. The data was collected through the Press Council’s website and was sampled using the keyword COVID-19. In total, there were 105 complaints submi`ed to the Press Council of South Africa during March 2020 and March 2022. Out of the 105, the researcher analysed 13 complaints that were related to COVID-19 reportage made during the same period. This period includes the outbreak of the pandemic, the second wave, and concludes with the third wave which is when the pandemic began to wind down. The results and findings of this study show that the number of complaints submi`ed during the pandemic was significantly low and that the publicaYons that breached the Press Code were mainly sancYoned for serious breaches. This suggests that print and online publicaYons that subscribe to the Press Council pracYced ethical journalism and adhered to the requirements of the Press Code to a moderate extent.