A Study on the Role of Constructive Journalism During Covid-19 Pandemic
Lekshmi Priya Sanal1, I. Arul Aram2
1Lekshmi Priya Sanal, Research Scholar, Department of Media Sciences, Anna University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) India.
2Dr. I. Arul Aram, Professor, Department of Media Sciences, Anna University, Chennai (Tamil Nadu), India.
Manuscript received on 02 May 2024 | Revised Manuscript received on 15 May 2024 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 June 2024 | Manuscript published on 30 June 2024 | PP: 8-12 | Volume-3 Issue-4, June 2024 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijmcj.D107403040624 | DOI::10.54105/ijmcj.D1074.03040624
Open Access | Editorial and Publishing Policies | Cite | Zenodo | OJS | Indexing and Abstracting
© The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: An expansive proliferation of misinformation and fake news followed with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a devastating event with lasting scars that changed the world forever. While social media may have originally helped in connecting people and sharing information, it may have also triggered a heightened accessibility in spreading misinformation and fake reports during the pandemic. The Covid-19 outbreak cannot be held as the sole reason for the mounting scepticism among people over the mainstream news reporting or the rising news avoidance observed in recent years. The role of news media organisations during pandemic situations towards disseminating scientific and verified information is indispensable. However, a shift from the normative role of mass media as a mere informant and mute spectator to one that reflexively gathers and presents socially useful news for its audience could have quelled the misinformation-induced hysteria to a certain extent during the peak of the pandemic—a constructive approach. This study critically analyses the various discourses surrounding constructive journalism and its role during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was found that most discourses vouched for the inclusion of constructive approaches in news sharing during crises and in future. However, regional, geopolitical and socioeconomic differences may allude to different understandings and contextual applications of constructive journalism that would require greater academic research.
Keywords: Constructive Journalism, Covid-19, Fake News, Social Media, Pandemic.
Scope of the Article: Media Studies