Abstract
ABSTRACT Brazil ranks second worldwide in COVID-19 deaths. In this country, television is the most popular means of mass communication, and 95.5% of Brazilian homes have a TV set. During the coronavirus pandemic, Brazilians considered TV news the most reliable source of information about COVID-19. In this context, we examined the coverage of vaccines, between 2020 and 2021, on the main Brazilian TV newscast – Jornal Nacional. We identified 1,173 reports on vaccination in the digital collection of this news show, which we analyzed based on six dimensions that systematize the following: general characteristics of the news, approach to vaccination, framing the news, general handling of the topic, actors and geographic location of the study and/or the immunization campaign on the agenda. The reports evinced a mostly positive attitude towards vaccines, emphasizing the political strategies and public policies adopted in COVID-19 vaccine development. National science gained prominence in the coverage. The most common news sources were institutions and/or representatives of the executive branch, and scientists were the voices most present in the reports. Just over half of the reports discussed the topic using visual aids, but only a few explained scientific concepts pertaining to the vaccine.
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