Comparative Study on COVID-19 Awareness News Coverage in Rajasthan Newspapers
This research paper compares the coverage of COVID-19 awareness in major newspapers of Rajasthan, highlighting the differences in information dissemination between English and Hindi newspapers. The study reveals the varying levels of awareness spread by different newspapers during the pandemic.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Research Paper : A Comparative Study on Coverage of COVID-19 awareness news in Daily Newspapers of Rajasthan. *Rajshri Gaur , PhD Scholar, Manipal University Jaipur **Urvashi Khandal, PhD Scholar, Manipal University Jaipur ***Dr. Rayaz Hassan, Associate Professor, Manipal University Jaipur ***Dr. Subhash Kumar, Associate Professor, Manipal University Jaipur
Abstract: The mass media has a significant influence in shaping public opinion. The media distribute information to the general public, which subsequently disseminates the information to make people more aware of or modify their views or values. The dispersion of news and information influencing societal structure is referred to as the media effect (James Chen). The purpose of this study is to compare the coverage of COVID-19 awareness in Rajasthan's major four newspapers, namely Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Times of India, and Hindustan Times. The study will be done for the months of June, July, and August 2021. The study takes a step forward by measuring the COVID-19 awareness news coverage area with qualitative and quantitative data. This research offers to the researcher a method for involving the media in promoting COVID-19 awareness in Rajasthan. The analysis of these four newspapers revealed that the English language newspapers published more information-based pieces and spread awareness among the general public, but the Hindi language newspapers published very little or no material about COVID-19 awareness. Keywords: COVID-19, Awareness, News Coverage, Language, Coverage area, Newspapers
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 is a contagious disease spread through SARS COV-2 that is severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus. The COVID-19 symptoms start from common cold to severe virus like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV according (World Health Organization, 2020). The first case of COVID- 19 was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan city of China from then the transmissible virus started spreading across the world. In starting of this novel virus people were not aware about its terrible affect, that starting from China to spreading all over the world, virus doesn t left a country from its dreadful effects. On 30th January 2020 India officially reported the first case of COVID-19 from Thrissur, Kerala and later it increases to three on 3rd February 2020, all the reported cases were returned students from Wuhan city, China and after that the numbers raised to lakhs. Viewing the situation worldwide, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the national lockdown of 21 days starting from 24th March to 14th April 2020 in India. Later on the lockdown extended till 3rd May 2020 and then an extension till 30th May 2020.
TheCOVID-19 Pandemic has stunned the whole world and country realize that how terrible a micro visible virus can become once uncontrolled. The virus has turn into challenge from a street vendor to the global persona. The virus hit many sectors including the print media, in the era of internet and social platforms where the latest news updated as on, print media faced challenges to survive. Many small media and publication houses have been temporarily shut down or stop publishing their papers and magazines during the lockdown in country. During the emergency situation the role of media is to educate and inform the population about the situation and handle the mass with their knowledge and by maintaining peace among the people. This research has studied the extent to which Rajasthan s top leading newspapers enlighten the readers about the Corona virus disease and compares the newspapers that how many news has been published that are educating and improving the knowledge about the virus and how the virus affect on the body parts and how one can prevent themselves.
RESEARCH PROBLEM The newspapers are trying to provide information and update the readers about the COVID-19 pandemic. Does the newspapers successfully implementing on the fact of providing information and updating the readers about the second wave of pandemic? Does the information is correctly dispersed and it actually informing the readers about the prevention from the virus? How different the approaches were of first wave and second wave of virus were covered by the newspapers.
OBJECTIVES To find out the news spreading awareness on COVID-19 in leading newspapers of Jaipur. To understand the various approach and trends in covering such news in the daily newspapers namely Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Times of India, Hindustan Times. To examine the nature of news repeatedly published in the newspaper. To analyze the contribution of leading print media of Jaipur in spreading awareness on COVID 19 pandemic.
REVIEWOF LITERATURE InJune 2020 Dr. Shivaji Jadhav had conducted a study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Indian Print Media. He studies the financial crisis faced by the Indian print media and how the virus affected the industry and journalists during the lockdown. He concluded in his study that the large percentage of print media professionals were affected by the situation as they faced salary cut off and temporary suspend from the job. COVID-19 has disrupts the industry, many of the small publication houses have temporarily shut down their publications. He mentioned that the Print media industry can only survive if government helps otherwise the situation may become worst in the future also said that the future of Print Media depends on how the government responds to the demands of the newspaper groups, journalist associations, as well as political parties. In April 2020, Hemant Kumar Pandey and Dr. Subhash Kumar had explored a research study on the role of print media in spreading awareness on corona virus disease (COVID-19), the study was based on the survey through structured questionnaire which was conducted among media professionals, academicians, bankers, housewives, students of the Jaipur city of Rajasthan state. The study concluded that the print media special reference to Rajasthan Patrika newspaper has played a vital role in spreading awareness among the readers and has given appreciable treatment to the COVID-19 news. Many respondents in their research study have mentioned that they get educated and developed a better understanding of the COVID-19 virus through reading the newspapers.
Dutta, Ankuran (2020) Beliefs and superstitions about COVID-19 Observations in India under lockdown in his study the author explores the diverse social culture of the India and majorly focused his work on how superstitious and false belief is still followed in the country like it happened as in history. The study finds out that during the COVID-19 lockdown the social media had dispersed many false or fake superstitious contents which were of no base or credible source. Those superstitious stories may create tension or fear among the group that are illiterate or don t know how to check the authenticity of the news source. The author concluded that during the lockdown the mainstream media has played the vital role in informing and educating people about the COVID-19 and spreading awareness on safeguarding oneself from such fake or superstitious contents spreading all over the social platforms. Dhanashree, Garg H, Chauhan A, Bhatia M, Sethi G, Chauhan G.(2019) Role of mass media and its impact on general public during corona virus disease 2019 pandemic in North India: An online assessment. This research study finds out that the social media platform plays vital role in spreading information among the mass. The news or information spreaded has mostly no credibility on social media platforms so there is an urgent need to have a check on these platforms to stop the spread of false or fake information as it will generate misinformation among the masses and may sometimes create insensitive situations in the nation. Researcher found that the internet, television and social media uses have been increased among the people during the lockdown while comparing to the newspapers, radio, magazines etc. this study helps me developing my understanding towards using social media and internet that one should be very aware before sharing or forwarding any information on these platforms as this may viral any wrong or fake information. Also taking the advantage of such strong platform one can use it to motivate people and spread awareness about COVID-19 among people.
SIGNIFICANCEOFTHESTUDY The study will find out the no. of COVID-19 news published and what treatment was given by the newspapers during the time under study. This study attempts to find out the role of newspapers in covering health news with special reference to COVID-19. It will further help that how much coverage/space was given to the health news related in print media.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Measures of the study: The study is primarily based on the comparative study of coverage of COVID-19 awareness news stories. The news stories were analyzed using particular unit like number of news published and area covered. News that is published in context to awareness on COVID-19 is measured as a unit of analysis. The type of articles selected for the study includes news briefing, features, and editorials. Letter to the editor, advertorials, advertisements were not included in the study. Time Period: the time period of the study was selected through purposive random sampling method. Sample of Times of India, Hindustan Times, Rajasthan Patrika and Dainik Bhaskar newspapers from 01 June to 30 August 2021 were selected for the study. Sample:MainlyTwo English and two Hindi language newspapers were selected namely The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Rajasthan Patrika and Dainik Bhaskar respectively. The newspapers were selected on the basis of their readership and highest circulation according to (ABC2020) in Rajasthan.
Times of India: The newspaper is an English daily newspaper owned and published by The Times Group by Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. It is third largest newspaper in India according to the circulation. The first edition of the newspaper published on 3 November 1838 in India and it is the second oldest Indian daily newspaper in circulation in the country. The Hindu: The Hindu group owns the daily newspaper named The Hindu, established their headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. At first the newspaper started their publication as a weekly newspaper in year 1878 but after seeing the increased demand and more news stories they started daily publication of the newspaper from year 1889. It is second most circulated newspaper in India in English language. Rajasthan Patrika: Karpoor Chandra Kulish founded the newspaper on 7th march 1956 as an Indian Hindi language newspaper which started publishing as Rajasthan Patrika in two states i.e. Delhi and Rajasthan and as Patrika in 9 other states of India. Dainik Bhaskar: The Dainik Bhaskar group owned the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper. The newspaper was founded 73 years ago in 1948 named as Subah Savere in Bhopal and 10 years later in year 1958 it finally named as Dainik Bhaskar. The newspaper secured fourth place in the world according to the circulation and ranked first in India in circulation of the newspaper. 1. 2. 3. 4.
RESULTS: Newspaper Total no. of news on COVID-19 Total news on awareness on COVID-19 Percentage Times Of India 97 678 14.30% Hindustan Times 83 632 13.13% Dainik Bhaskar 63 1125 5.6% Rajasthan Patrika 1201 65 5.41%
Times of India Times of India newspaper has published total 678 no. of news on COVID-19 out of which 97 news are directly related to the awareness on COVID-19 including headlines like Virus not effect lungs but takes toll on heart too: experts and Speak Softly scatter fewer virus particles etc. news that directly improving the knowledge on corona virus and awaking the readers about its effect on human body. The newspapers have started a daily column named Corona Sutra in which the news or pictures related to awareness regularly. 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Total no. of Covid news Awareness news on Covid were published
Hindustan Times Hindustan Times newspapers published total 632 number of news on COVID-19 out of which 83 news are directly related to the awareness on including headlines like COVID patients at risk of developing lung fibrosis and Obesity, diabetes raise risk of death due to COVID- 19 etc.such news improves the knowledge of the readers about the virus. The newspaper has published a special edition on immunity booster with special reference to Corona virus. 700 600 500 COVID-19 400 300 200 100 0 Total no. of Covid news Awareness news on Covid
Dainik Bhaskar Dainik published total 1125 number of news on COVID-19 out of which 63 news are directly related to the awareness on COVID-19 including headlines like , etc. as headlines suggest that how corona virus is effecting on human body. . Bhaskar newspapers 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Total no. of Covid news Awareness news on Covid
Rajasthan Patrika Rajasthan Patrika newspapers published total 1201 number of news on COVID-19 out of which 65 news are directly related to the awareness on COVID-19 including headlines like , etc. as headlines awaking about virus and precautions to safeguard from virus. 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Total no. of Covid news Awareness news on Covid
CONCLUSION English newspapers plays a vital role in awaking the readers about the COVID-19 and how it effect on the infected person body by publishing news and articles related to the awareness about this novel corona virus disease. The English newspapers have even published many articles interviewed from experts or written by experts on health communications on COVID. Whereas the study found that the Hindi newspapers have published very less numbers of news and articles on COVID awareness. The hindi newspapers should give more attention towards publishing articles and news that inform, aware, educate the readers about the COVID. Attempts should be made to focus on the awareness news on COVID to develop the better understanding on taking precautions and safeguarding oneself from getting infected.
Limitations of the study: The study was limited to the number of news published only. The time frame was another limitation to simplify the result.
REFERENCES S. Jadhav(July2020), Impact of COVID-19 on Indian Print Media, http://www.unishivaji.ac.in/uploads/general/covid/Dr-Jadhav/IMPACT%20OF%20COVID- 19%20ON%20INDIAN%20PRINT%20MEDIA.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341109699_Role_of_Print_Media_in_Spreading_Aware ness_on_Coronavirus_Disease_COVID-19 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342364978_Beliefs_and_Superstitions_about_COVID- 19_Observations_in_India_under_Lockdown http://hdl.handle.net/10603/234518 Sachdeva Jyotika ,(2019). Content Strategy Of Regional News Channels On Prime Time Band A Study In Context Of Rajasthan. https://ijmsweb.com/role-of-mass-media-and-its-impact-on-general-public-during-coronavirus- disease-2019-pandemic-in-north-india-an-online-assessment/ http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/10603/289812Shift Of Indian Media After Liberalization From Public Good To Profit Making Institutions_ A Study Of Commercialization And Public Perception Of Hindi News Channels, Romana Israr, Indra Gandhi National Open University.
