Verbiage and Sensationalism in Unethical Journalism Creating Stigma and Fear During COVID-19

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue X, October 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Verbiage and Sensationalism in Unethical Journalism Creating Stigma and Fear During COVID-19

Claron Fidelis Mazarello and Tori R. Connor
Karl Eberhard University, Tuebingen, Germany

Abstract: The absence of ethics in journalism leads to chaos uncertainty and fear, during times of a crisis. We will take a close look at the unethical coverage through the verbiage and the extent of damage physically and mentally that we have been going through since the onset of the pandemic. Making it not only an infectious disease pandemic, but this has developed into a fear pandemic of its own. The study looked at the most read 200 written news reports from around the world, narrowing the search to 50 in total; 40 of the top readership and 10 to ensure the study encompassed all regions of the globe. Seeing their use of ‘patient’ was dehumanising resulting in stigma, 30 news sources were then scrutinized using the World Health Organisations ‘Do’s” and ‘Don’ts’ sensitization guidelines ass per February 24, 2020,*
all written reports failed in using the words known to create stigma. Coupled with these results are a plethora of research and studies compiled to bring attention to the fact stigma from infection diseases can affect the productivity of the heath care system during a pandemic, as well as result in serious lasting mental health concerns such as PTSD. As well a, charting how media is directly shown to feed the fear of crisis’s by sensationalising an event and using stigmatising verbiage in reporting. This can only be described as unethical media coverage. Outlined are ways to rectify this, including the importance of a Media’s apology to the world.

Keywords: Stigma, Unethical Journalism, Mental Health, Fear, Sensationalism

I. INTRODUCTION

Effects of a pandemic are devastating, and the Coronavirus disease is no exception; with the loss of life and economic strain that already creates an environment of fear, uncertainty and unrest. All this without the added social crisis of stigmatization due to unethical media coverage through their use of verbiage that had been deemed inappropriate on February 24, 2020 by collaboration of UNISEF and the W.H.O.23 This source of guidelines followed the pre-existing globally excepted direction set buy UNAIDS19 on stigmatizing word usage and labelling

Read More