News Coverage of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Thematic Analysis of a Portuguese Quality Newspaper

Abstract

News coverage can play a vital role during public health crises, raising awareness about potential risks, informing about response efforts, and encouraging preventive behaviors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the precariousness of journalists while introducing new challenges in their work. This article presents the results of a thematic analysis of 612 news articles about the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Portugal, published in a Portuguese quality newspaper from January to March 2020. Results show the relevance of geographical and cultural proximity as news values in international coverage. While the quantification of cases and deaths was a prominent theme in international and domestic coverage, specific cases of infection were frequent in domestic news, while general epidemiological indicators were more often the main theme in international coverage. News about events in Portugal was also more focused on specific containment and mitigation measures, while international coverage found states of emergency and lockdowns more newsworthy. As for news sources, there was a clear dependence on public officials and press releases from Direção-Geral de Saúde as information sources. The experiences and opinions of people speaking as individuals and not on behalf of organizations were much less frequent.