TY - JOUR
AU - O’Connor, Cliodhna
AU - O’Connell, Nicola
AU - Burke, Emma
AU - Nolan, Ann
AU - Dempster, Martin
AU - Graham, Christopher D.
AU - Nicolson, Gail
AU - Barry, Joseph
AU - Scally, Gabriel
AU - Crowley, Philip
AU - Zgaga, Lina
AU - Mather, Luke
AU - Darker, Catherine D.
PY - 2021
DA - September
TI - Media representations of science during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis of news and social media on the island of Ireland
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
VL - 18
IS - 18
DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189542 10.3390/ijerph18189542
AB - COVID-19 is arguably the most critical science communication challenge of a generation, yet comes in the wake of a purported populist turn against scientific expertise in western societies. This study advances understanding of science–society relations during the COVID-19 pandemic by analysing how science was represented in news and social media coverage of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland. Thematic analysis was performed on a dataset comprising 952 news articles and 603 tweets published between 1 January and 31 May 2020. Three themes characterised the range of meanings attached to science: ‘Defining science: Its subjects, practice and process', 'Relating to science: Between veneration and suspicion' and 'Using science: As solution, policy and rhetoric'. The analysis suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic represented a platform to highlight the value, philosophy, process and day-to-day activity of scientific research. However, the study also identified risks the pandemic might pose to science communication, including feeding public alienation by disparaging lay understandings, reinforcing stereotypical images of scientists, and amplifying the politicisation of scientific statements.
PB - MDPI
UR - https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/84687/
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER