Politics and pandemics: political bias in United States media reports on various political actors during the Covid-19 Pandemic

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dc.contributor.advisorLambrechts, Derica
dc.contributor.authorBotha, Marco
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-10T09:20:29Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-16T08:37:36Z
dc.date.available2023-02-10T09:20:29Z
dc.date.available2023-11-16T08:37:36Z
dc.date.issued2023-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Media bias is a growing concern in a world where information is readily provided by anybody who wishes to do so. Mainstream media houses usually associate with specific political points of view, especially in the polarised United States (US). In this study, the researcher aimed to determine the political bias of three US news publications, the left-leaning The New Yorker, centrist The Hill, and the right-leaning New York Post, during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic (2020), which coincided with the run-up to the presidential election. The publications' bias towards three political actors was tested, namely President Donald Trump, the government, and the public. The research question therefore was: How were three publications in the United States biased in their reporting on the actions and behaviour of different political actors in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic? This bias was determined by analysing the content of 300 randomly sampled articles published by the three news publications. The study utilizes qualitative methodology supplemented with quantitative data. The three news publications were selected based on their previously established bias, to represent the left, centre, and right of the political spectrum. It was expected that the unusual context of the pandemic, coupled with the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, would have amplified the bias in the publications, especially since certain actors politicised the pandemic to polarise US society. The Republicans, for example, presented science as a tool used by the liberal left to suppress the US public, while the Democrats pointed at the country's inequality and rampant discrimination under conservative Republican rule. The three main objectives of the study were to test the political bias of the publications; to determine the general tone of the sampled articles, as this may impact the political bias; and lastly, a closer examination of several specific attributes of the articles that could serve as indicators of bias. These attributes were coded as critical or supportive; alarming or reassuring; polarising; and misinformation or disinformation. The results of the content analysis firstly showed that the general tone of the articles in all three publications was overwhelmingly negative. Secondly, the results of the content analysis indicated that the political bias in all three publications was overwhelmingly centrist. Looking more closely at how the three publications dealt with the different subcategories, an interesting picture emerged. Confirming the previously established bias, coverage by The Hill was almost exclusively unbiased. The New Yorker's coverage was also largely unbiased, but with a definite liberal inclination. The surprising result was that of the New York Post, which despite its strong centrist coverage showed only a very slight conservative bias, and even published left-leaning articles. This was unexpected, as this publication was a vocal supporter of the re-election of Trump as president. In a politically increasingly unstable world, the media should be tested continuously, as they are not only the direct providers of crucial information, but they also serve to keep leaders of all levels in check.
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mediavooroordeel is van toenemende belang in 'n wêreld waar inligting maklik deur enigiemand versprei kan word. Hoofstroommediahuise identifiseer gewoonlik met spesifieke politieke standpunte, veral in die gepolariseerde Verenigde State van Amerika. In hierdie studie het die navorser daarop gemik om die politieke vooroordeel in drie Amerikaanse nuuspublikasies, die linksgesinde The New Yorker, sentristiese The Hill en die regsgesinde New York Post, tydens die eerste jaar van die Covid-19-pandemie (2020), wat saamgeval het met die aanloop tot die presidensiële verkiesing, te bepaal. Die publikasies se vooroordeel teenoor drie politieke akteurs is getoets, naamlik president Donald Trump, die regering en die publiek. Die navorsingsvraag was dus: Hoe was drie publikasies in die Verenigde State bevooroordeeld in hul beriggewing oor die optrede en gedrag van verskillende politieke akteurs in die VSA tydens die Covid-19-pandemie? Hierdie vooroordeel is bepaal deur die inhoud van 300 ewekansige steekproefartikels wat deur die drie nuuspublikasies gepubliseer is, te ontleed. Die studie maak gebruik van kwalitatiewe metodologie, wat aangevul is met kwantitatiewe data. Die drie nuuspublikasies is gekies op grond van hul voorheen bepaalde vooroordeel, om die linker-, middel- en regterkant van die politieke spektrum te verteenwoordig. Daar is verwag dat die buitengewone konteks van die pandemie, saam met die aanloop tot die presidensiële verkiesing in 2020, die vooroordeel in die publikasies sou versterk het, veral aangesien sekere akteurs die pandemie verpolitiseer het om die Amerikaanse samelewing te polariseer. Die Republikeine het byvoorbeeld wetenskap voorgehou as 'n instrument wat linkse liberale gebruik word om die Amerikaanse publiek te onderdruk, terwyl die Demokrate die land se ongelykheid en ongebreidelde diskriminasie onder die konserwatiewe Republikeinse bewind uitgewys het.Die drie hoofdoelwitte van die studie was om die politieke vooroordeel van die publikasies te bepaal; om die algemene toon van die steekproefartikels te bepaal, aangesien dit 'n effek op die politieke vooroordeel kan hê; en laastens, om nadere ondersoek in te stel na verskeie spesifieke eienskappe van die artikels, wat indikators van vooroordeel mag wees. Hierdie eienskappe is gekodeer as krities of ondersteunend; kommerwekkend of gerusstellend; polariserend; en misinformasie of disinformasie. Die resultate van die inhoudsontleding het eerstens getoon dat die algemene toon van die artikels in al drie publikasies oorweldigend negatief was. Tweedens het die resultate van die inhoudsontleding aangedui dat die algemene vooroordeel in al drie publikasies oorweldigend sentristies was. Deur nader te kyk na hoe die drie publikasies die verskillende subkategorieë hanteer het, het 'n interessante prentjie na vore gekom. Soos verwag is op grond van die voorheen bepaalde vooroordeel, was dekking deur The Hill byna uitsluitlik onbevooroordeeld. The New Yorker se dekking was ook grootliks onbevooroordeeld, maar met 'n besliste liberale neiging. Die verrassende resultaat was dié van die New York Post, wat ten spyte van sy sterk sentristiese dekking slegs 'n baie geringe konserwatiewe vooroordeel getoon het, en selfs linkse artikels gepubliseer het. Dit was onverwags, aangesien hierdie publikasie 'n uitgesproke ondersteuner van die herverkiesing van Trump as president was. In 'n polities toenemend onstabiele wêreld moet die media deurlopend getoets word, aangesien hulle nie net die direkte verskaffers van noodsaaklike inligting is nie, maar ook dien om 'n oog te hou op leiers van alle vlakke.
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extent139 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128695
dc.language.isoen
dc.subject.lcshEpidemics -- Political aspects -- United States COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- United States -- Politics and government News media -- United States Political participation -- United States Political science -- United States
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.title Politics and pandemics: political bias in United States media reports on various political actors during the Covid-19 Pandemicen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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