Evoking ‘other countries’ in media discourses

The case of the Covid-19 pandemic in six countries

Bibliographic Data

ID13060950
AuthorsLauri Heimo (0000-0001-7776-7080, University of Helsinki), P Alasuutari (0000-0003-4111-9641, Tampere University, corresponding author), Laia Pi Ferrer (0000-0001-8655-591X, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya), Olga Ulybina (0000-0003-0186-5658, University of Helsinki)
Year2024
Volume63
Pages100847-100847
Publication date2024-12-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDiscourse Context & Media (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2211-6958 • E-ISSN: 2211-6966
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.dcm.2024.100847
OpenAlexW4405743146
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited45

The COVID-19 pandemic did not only imply a spread of a virus, it also set in motion a series of global measures and discourses that likewise diffused worldwide. This article explores the global dissemination of knowledge and cross-national comparisons in the context of a global pandemic. We approach the question by analysing coverage of COVID-19 in newspapers published in Australia, Russia, Singapore, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The analysis reveals that the concept of the world uniting against a common enemy, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, was absent from media coverage. Instead, the prevalent discourse centered around competition between states. However, this article argues that this does not imply that the world is divided into distinct cultures with divergent views or understandings of reality. Rather, we argue that the pandemic led to the formation of a discursive field consisting of the reference points that constitute sensible and legitimate ways to discuss potential policies

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Infectious disease (medical specialty · Outbreak · Pandemic · Pathology · Political science · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Media Studies and Communication · Medicine · Virology

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