Understanding the use of information sources during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Kuwait

Abstract

This article explores the uses of sources in the news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait between 1 January and 31 December 2020. Our study analyses the sources and actors that were presented in 673 news stories on COVID-19 that were published in nine outlets, comparing media platforms and across time as the pandemic evolved. Our results show that political sources dominated these stories, which demonstrates the strong influence of the government in constructing the news. It also suggests that the media could not find the right balance between elite and other voices, including those of health professionals. Contrary to the previous literature, citizen and civic society sources did not play an important role in the pandemic coverage. This confirms the difficulty of non-elite voices to be heard in the media in Kuwait. Surprisingly, the state-owned and larger media outlets used fewer and a narrower range of information sources. The extreme dependence on elite actors, especially political figures, health and business representatives, and the abuse of anonymous and media sources, prove that the health crisis that impacted the world in 2020 affected all aspects of society, including journalism. This led political authorities to take responsibility for responding to the coronavirus outbreak. Overall, the media discourse during the first year of the pandemic was characterized by the political control of the narrative.