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Stigmatizing Monkeypox and COVID-19: A Comparative Framing Study of The Washington Post ’s Online News

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  • Weilun Ju

    (Centre for Research in Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia)

  • Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi

    (Centre for Research in Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia)

  • Emma Mohamad

    (Centre for Research in Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
    UKM × UNICEF Communication for Development Centre in Health, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia)

Abstract

Background: Stigma relating to health can result in a broad range of vulnerabilities and risks for patients and healthcare providers. The media play a role in people’s understanding of health, and stigma is socially constructed through many communication channels, including media framing. Recent health issues affected by stigma include monkeypox and COVID-19. Objectives: This research aimed to examine how The Washington Post ( WP ) framed the stigma around monkeypox and COVID-19. Guided by framing theory and stigma theory, online news coverage of monkeypox and COVID-19 was analyzed to understand the construction of social stigma through media frames. Methods: This research used qualitative content analysis to compare news framings in The Washington Post ’s online news coverage of monkeypox and COVID-19. Results: Using endemic, reassurance, and sexual-transmission frames, The Washington Post predominantly defined Africa as the source of monkeypox outbreaks, indirectly labeled gays as a specific group more likely to be infected with monkeypox, and emphasized that there was no need to worry about the spread of the monkeypox virus. In its COVID-19 coverage, The Washington Post adopted endemic and panic frames to describe China as the source of the coronavirus and to construct an image of panic regarding the spread of the virus. Conclusions: These stigma discourses are essentially manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and sexism in public health issues. This research confirms that the media reinforces the stigma phenomenon in relation to health through framing and provides suggestions for the media to mitigate this issue from a framing perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Weilun Ju & Shahrul Nazmi Sannusi & Emma Mohamad, 2023. "Stigmatizing Monkeypox and COVID-19: A Comparative Framing Study of The Washington Post ’s Online News," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3347-:d:1068135
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Andi Muhammad Tri Sakti & Siti Zaiton Mohd Ajis & Arina Anis Azlan & Hyung Joon Kim & Elizabeth Wong & Emma Mohamad, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 on School Populations and Associated Factors: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Tenkorang, Eric Y., 2017. "Ebola-related stigma in Ghana: Individual and community level determinants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 142-149.
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    1. Yoo, Nari & Jang, Sou Hyun, 2024. "Does social empathy moderate fear-induced minority blaming during the COVID-19 pandemic?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).

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