Almost a month ago today, I posted a blog post about how Coronavirus was reported in the China Times. One month later, there is a much greater spread of COVID-19 with many countries across the globe affected. I thought it would be interesting to compare the news reports of COVID-19 from different areas of the country, especially those that pertain to our class.
News report from China, published in People’s Daily: People’s Daily is the largest newspaper group in China, the official paper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in China, and published worldwide. A brief glance at the homepage of the website indicate that China is conveying prominent news, but it is trying to do so in a way that provokes nationalism for Chinese readers. A few titles of articles featured on the homepage include:
· “Italian people sing their gratitude for Chinese help”
· “China’s experience in battle against COVID-19 brings hope to the world”
· “Trump calls coronavirus the ‘Chinese Virus,’ the world disagrees”
There are several other articles featured on the homepage that promote China’s cultural and entertainment news, including sporting events and fashion shows. Comparing the homepage of this news site to one of the American press sites, the articles aim to promote more positive feelings about China and the way it is handling life amidst the pandemic. The Chinese communist government strictly regulates news and press, so it is understandable how the government would want to invoke these feelings as opposed to provoking fear, disappointment, or concerns about the government’s choices.
According to Statista, the most popular news site in America was Yahoo News as of May 2018. The article titles featured on the homepage of Yahoo News are much grimmer:
· “Sanders whacks Trump, says the 1st coronavirus priority is to ‘shut this president up right now’”
· “Hackers attack health agency amid virus crisis”
· “Italians sound dire warning on coronavirus”
Every media site conveys its opinion and tone through its articles, but it is evident that the American media is stimulating more depressive feelings than the media does in China. This is understandable considering the regulation of China’s media, but the American media can be blamed for causing extreme panic in the United States. There are many different news sites that the American public go to for accurate news reports, but it is difficult to assess which news reports are truthful and which are not.
I wanted to blend the first unit of Islam into the assessment of the coronavirus in global news. Indonesia is the country with the largest portion of Muslims; however, I struggled to find a trusted news site that could be translated into English. India is another country that has a largest percentage of the global Muslim population, and it too is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. India Times is the third-largest newspaper in India. I examined some of the key articles featured on its homepage:
· “Why social distancing matters for India’s nurses, doctors, and poor people”
· “Nobody is safe! Doctor who treated India’s 1st Coronavirus victim tests positive for COVID-19”
· “It’s not all gloom: India has successfully cured 13 Coronavirus patients”
The India Times also featured articles about cultural activities and other types of positive news. The India Times appears to present a blend between the grim American news sources and the potentially overly positive Chinese news. With the world consumed in COVID-19, it is interesting to analyze the similarities and differences between news reports, as that is how the public stays informed on the health crisis that exists today.