The role of media representations in the racial discrimination against Asian and Black people during the COVID-19 pandemic
Fitzgerald, Paul
This study explores the media coverage of minorities, specifically Black and Asian people, during the COVID-19 pandemic in online newspapers and X (previously called Twitter). It focuses on how the media has contributed to racism and discrimination against minority groups. By examining online newspapers, online news networks, and X, the research probes active and inactive racism in mass media in its many forms. This research addressed a fundamental question: What is the role of media representations in the racial discrimination against Asian and Black people during the COVID-19 pandemic? The chosen online newspapers for this study included (but were not limited to) the New York Post, The New York Times in the United States, and The Guardian in the United Kingdom. The theoretical framework of this study is based on established theories on racism in the media: the integrated threat theory, hegemony, otherness and racial perception, agency, critical race theory, media richness theory, conflict theory, and prejudice. These theories provide a foundation for understanding and evaluating the existence and extent of a racial coverage divide. Methodologically, this study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative content analysis focused on the representation of Black and Asian Americans in online news coverage and X during the pandemic, while the quantitative analysis involved a systematic examination of the frequency and context of racial terms and narratives in media content. The study included a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis from the initial reported COVID-19 cases to the discovery of the Omicron variant. The COVID-19 crisis led to global health and economic challenges. Nevertheless, for Asian and Black Americans, the pandemic’s repercussions extended beyond the universal consequences. Racially insensitive terms like “Kung flu” and the “Wuhan virus” contributed to bullying and discrimination, leading to the marginalization of these communities. Key findings revealed that media representations often reinforced racial biases and stereotypes, with significant instances of both overt and covert racism. The study highlighted how certain media narratives exacerbated racial tensions and contributed to a climate of fear and prejudice against minority groups. This study contributes to the understanding of the media’s role in perpetuating racial discrimination, emphasizing the complex relationship between media, racism, and society. It serves as a unique contribution to how visible minorities were represented in news media and social media during the global pandemic. Additionally, the study makes notable recommendations for news networks, emphasizing the need for more representative voices to provide accurate and inclusive news reporting.; Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuveza lokho okwakusakazwa abezindaba ngedlanzana labantu bebala elithi, ikakhulu abantu abaNsundu namaSulumani/ama-Asian, ngesikhathi sobhubhane lweCOVID-19 emaphephandabeni aku-inthanethi kanye nakuX (obebizwa ngokuthi uTwitter ngaphambilini). Lapha sigxile ekutheni abezindaba babe nesandla kanjani ekucwaseni ngokwebala nokubandlulula idlanzana labantu bebala elithile. Ngokuhlola amaphephandaba aku-inthanethi, amanethiwekhi ezindaba aku-inthanethi, kanye noX, ucwaningo luzophenya ngokucwasa okukhona nokungagqamile emithonjeni emikhulu yezindaba okwenzeka ngezindlela eziningi. Lolu cwaningo luphendule umbuzo obalulekile othi: Yiliphi iqhaza elabanjwa abezindaba ngokumelelene nokubandlululwa ngokobuhlanga kwabantu abangamaSulumani nabaNsundu ngesikhathi sobhubhane lweCOVID-19? Amaphephandaba aku-inthanethi akhethelwe lolu cwaningo ahlanganisa (nakuba bekungenamkhawulo) iNew York Post, iNew York Times yase-United States, kanye neGuardian yase-United Kingdom. Uhlaka lwetiyori lwalolu cwaningo lususelwe emibonweni esungulelwe ukubheka ngokucwasa ngokobuhlanga kwabezindaba: itiyori edidiyelwe ebheka ukusongelwa, ukuqonelana ngokobuzwe, ukubukwa njengongemuntu kanye nombono wobuhlanga, i-ejensi, itiyori ebhaka ubucayi bobuhlanga, itiyori ebhaka ukunotha kwabezindaba, itiyori yokungezwani ngokuthile, nobandlululo. Lawa matiyori ahlinzeka ngesisekelo sokuqonda nokuhlola ubukhona nezinga lokuhlukaniswa ngokobuhlanga ekuhlinzekweni kwezindaba. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yokuhlaziya exubile, luhlanganise ukuhlaziya ngokwezilinganiso kanye nangokwamaqophelo. Ukuhlaziywa kwengqikithi ngokwamaqophelo kugxile ekumelelweni kwabantu abaNsundu eMelika nabangamaSulimani ekusakazweni kwezindaba eziku-inthanethi kanye nakuX ngesikhathi sobhubhane, kanti ukuhlaziya ngokwezilinganiso khona kuhlanganise indlela yokuhlolwa ukwenzeka kwezinto ziziphinda nengqikithi yamatemu obuhlanga kanye nezindaba ezibikwa abezindaba. Lolu cwaningo luhlanganisa ukuhlaziya ngokuqoqa ulwazi eqoqweni labantu ngokwezigameko ezibikiwe zeCOVID-19 kuze kuba kutholakala i-Omicron variant. Inkinga yeCOVID-19 yaqhamuka nezinselelo kwezempilo nezomnotho emhlabeni jikelele. Noma kunjalo, imiphumela yobhubhane kubantu abangamaSulumani nabaNsundu eMelika, yakhomba okungaphezulu kwalokho okwenzeke kwezinye izindawo. Amatemu ahlabayo obuhlanga afana nelithi "Kung flu" kanye nelithi "Wuhan virus" abe nomthelela kubuqhwaga nasekubandlululeni, okuholele ekucwasweni kwale miphakathi. Imiphumela iveza ukuthi imibiko yemithombo yezindaba ivame ukuchema kwezokucwasa ngokobuhlanga nalokho ukuyinkoleloze, kanye nezenzo zokucwasa okusobala nokucashile. Lolu cwaningo lugqamisa indlela imibiko yabezindaba abandisa ngayo izimo zokucwaswa ngokobuhlanga nokube nomthelela esimweni sokwesaba nokucwasa idlanzana labantu. Lolu cwaningo lwengeza ukuqonda esinakho ngendima edlalwa abezindaba ekusabalaliseni ukubandlululwa ngokwebala, ukugcizelela ukwehluka kobudlelwane phakathi kwabezindaba, ukucwasa ngokwebala kanye nomphakathi. Lusebenza ukusihlinzeka ngokuhlukile ngendlela imithombo yabezindaba neyezokuxhumana eyayiveza ngayo idlanzana labantu bebala elithile ngesikhathi sobhubhane emhlabeni jikelele. Ukwengeza, ucwaningo lwenza izincomo okumele ziqashelwe abamanethiwekhi ezindaba, ukugcizelela isidingo sokwengezwa kwamazwi amelele ukuhlinzeka ngemibiko yezindaba eveza konke ngeqiniso.; Hierdie studie ondersoek die mediadekking van minderhede, spesifiek swart mense en Asiërs, gedurende die COVID-19-pandemie in aanlyn koerante en op X (voorheen bekend as Twitter). Dit fokus op die manier waarop die media tot rassisme en diskriminasie teen minderheidsgroepe bygedra het. Aktiewe en onaktiewe rassisme in massamedia in sy vele gedaantes is by wyse van die bestudering van aanlyn koerante, aanlyn nuusnetwerke en X ondersoek. Hierdie navorsing het ’n fundamentele vraag aangeroer: Wat is die rol van media-uitbeeldings in rassediskriminasie teen Asiërs en swart mense gedurende die COVID-19-pandemie? Die aanlyn koerante wat vir hierdie studie geselekteer is, het onder meer die New York Post, The New York Times in die Verenigde State en The Guardian in die Verenigde Koninkryk ingesluit. Die teoretiese raamwerk van die studie berus op gevestigde teorieë oor rassisme in die media: die geïntegreerde-bedreiging-teorie (integrated threat theory), hegemonie, andersheid en raspersepsie, agentskap (agency), kritiese rasteorie, die teorie oor mediarykheid, konflikteorie en vooroordeel. Hierdie teorieë bied ’n grondslag waarop die bestaan en omvang van ’n skeiding ten opsigte van rasberiggewing verstaan en beoordeel kan word. Wat metodologie betref, is ’n gemengde-metode-benadering, wat die gebruik van beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe analise behels, vir die studie gevolg. Die kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise het op die uitbeelding van swart en Asiatiese Amerikaners in aanlyn nuusdekking en op X tydens die pandemie gefokus. Die kwantitatiewe analise is by wyse van ’n sistematiese verkenning van die voorkoms en konteks van rasterme en -narratiewe in media-inhoud uitgevoer. Die studie het ’n omvattende deursnee-analise vanaf die eerste gerapporteerde COVID-19-gevalle tot die ontdekking van die Omikron-variant behels. Die COVID-19-krisis het tot wêreldwye gesondheids- en ekonomiese uitdagings aanleiding gegee. Vir Asiatiese en swart Amerikaners het die gevolge van die pandemie egter wyer as die algemene nagevolge gestrek. Ras-onsensitiewe terme soos “Kung flu” en “Wuhan virus” het tot afknouery en diskriminasie bygedra, wat tot die marginalisasie van hierdie gemeenskappe gelei het. Sleutelbevindings van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat media-uitbeeldings dikwels rassevooroordeel en -stereotipes versterk het en dat beduidende gevalle van beide openlike en bedekte rassisme voorgekom het. Die studie het aangetoon hoe sekere media-narratiewe rassespanning aangeblaas het en tot ’n klimaat van vrees en vooroordeel teenoor minderheidsgroepe bygedra het. Hierdie studie dra by tot insig in die rol wat die media in die voortsetting van rassediskriminasie speel en benadruk die komplekse verband tussen die media, rassisme en die samelewing. Dit dien as ’n eiesoortige bydrae tot die bestudering van die manier waarop sigbare minderhede tydens die pandemie in die nuusmedia en sosiale media uitgebeeld is. Daarbenewens bevat die studie belangrike aanbevelings vir nuusnetwerke. Die aanbevelings benadruk die behoefte aan stemme wat meer verteenwoordigend is ten einde akkurate en inklusiewe nuusberiggewing te verseker.
Abstracts in English, Zulu and Afrikaans
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