Transcending information delivery: how Malaysian online news portals report on COVID-19 crisis response

Abstract

Malaysia has experienced its most significant socio-economic setback since the outbreak of COVID-19. Amid this unprecedented health and humanitarian crisis, various stakeholders, including the government, businesses, and community members, generously provided livelihood assistance in various forms to help affected Malaysians, alleviating issues such as hunger, food insecurity, and cash flow constraints. However, the impact of these efforts would not have been as profound without the media’s coverage. During the pandemic lockdown, over 80% of Malaysians turned to smartphones and online news to stay abreast of COVID-19 updates. Online news outlets evidently played a pivotal role in safeguarding livelihoods. Drawing upon crisis-response reporting and framing theory, this study examined COVID-19 response reporting in leading Malaysian online news portals. The researchers content analyzed a total of 860 news articles from 2020 through 2021. The findings indicate that these portals not only provided timely information on livelihood relief efforts but also vigorously advocated for more mature pandemic-response policies. Additionally, practical analyses were featured to inspire better-informed decision making during challenging times. However, several limitations were linked to the lack of more balanced and “softer” news coverage. The findings are poised to enrich the literature on little-explored crisis-response reporting.