Abstract
This study explains how Bangladeshi media responded during the coronavirus crisis focusing on the issues of news related to COVID-19. The study analyzes the content of a total of 744 articles in the ProthomAlo & The Daily Star,the country's most-read newspapers in-between the timeline from 8th March 2020 to 4th April 2020. It investigates how the COVID-19 presented as `furious’ and `deadly’ virus among the readers. In particular, this study explores the representation pattern of the phenomena of 'emerging deadly infectious diseases' in the newspapers. Using Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study investigates the collective meaning sharing focus on the news coverage during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The study also finds out how the newspapers sideline the representation of this pandemic as a `health crisis' to ` national economic crisis.' Thus the representation covers up the government irresponsibility by focusing more on `unconscious mass' and`limitations' of a developing country. Therefore, the `panic' increases and the solution of this pandemic muffled under it. Also, this study provides some tentative explanations for this linguistic representation by editorial sections of these newspapers.
Highlights
The world was shut down for months in 2020 for the cause of the global pandemic, which was first identified in China
Discussion a) Headline Analysis Before starting to read any news, readers always glance over the headline, as the headlines always showcase the keywords of the news, which makes the readers easy to understand the key issues of the news
The ProthomAlo used the concept offear’ in 77 headlines, and The Daily Star used it in 44 headlines
Summary
The world was shut down for months in 2020 for the cause of the global pandemic, which was first identified in China. Since that (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, the global media started showing interest in this, and it increased far more after the declaration of a pandemic by WHO. The media tries to draw mass consideration through its coverage of any pandemic and try to influence public opinion (Atasoy, 2020). After this outbreak, the mass media of Bangladesh started to disseminate information about the coronavirus after its outbreak in china. On March 7, the country confirmed the first COVID-19 case in its territory (Anwar et al, 2020). On March 25, through Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's address to the nation, Bangladesh declared the enforcement of lockdown for ten days from country. People started to move towards fear, panic, and uncertainty at their subconscious mind, and no doubt newspapers had set the image over their content
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
