Traditional and digital media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Researcher/ Radio and Television Department/ Faculty of Mass Communication/ Cairo University

2 Professor at Radio and Television Department/ Faculty of Mass Communication/ Cairo University, and Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Research and the supervisor of the researcher.

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic through traditional and digital media, the dynamic forces involved, characteristics of, uses and associated factors consider traditional digital media perspectives on the epidemic, monitor the policy implementation through these media, and aim to identify their source.
This study is a descriptive study of the research methodology. It was used in the "Your Health is Trust" program on Abu Dhabi TV, representing Emirati satellite channels, in a three-month programming cycle from March to June 2020. Additionally, "Emirates Today" surveyed the website the official page as an online website representative for the full month of March 2020.
The study reached the following conclusions:
Emirati traditional and digital media attempted to effectively address most aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to cover the issue effectively. Key features include the emergence and development of the epidemic, its consequences, containment measures and the UAE’s countermeasure efforts.
Both news and digital media covered COVID-19 to highlight prevention and containment efforts. They relied primarily on government and central centers on epidemiological issues, often taking a balanced approach.
The "Trust Your Health" initiative addressed the COVID-19 pandemic in a multifaceted and comprehensive manner, with hospitality experts and government officials relaying official information, clarifying progress and strategies and explained, presenting the details of death and recovery.
Both reports and digital media relied on their sources to address COVID-19 issues in the UAE, meaning that the coverage is within the responsibility of the program and the websites This shows the level of trust and confidence that these journalists provide in terms of information for viewers.
The "Trust Your Health" program relied heavily on survey materials compared to news reports. For the "Emirates Today" website, the news format was the most common way to deal with COVID-19 issues, followed by the hard news format. The website also emphasized providing hyperlinks to allow users to search for background information.
 
 
 
 
 

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