Home⇛PCS Review⇛vol. 16 no. 1 (2024)

Setting the Pandemic Stage: Online News Media Framing and Affective Tones in the Philippine COVID-19 Crisis Coverage of Manila Bulletin and Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ma. Theresa DC. de Guzman

Discipline: media studies

 

Abstract:

During the unprecedented COVID-19 global health crisis, online news media emerged as crucial drivers of information dissemination and public discourse in the Philippines. This study investigates how two major online news media platforms, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) and Manila Bulletin (MB), framed and conveyed affective tones in their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by Framing Theory, the study examined 114 articles from PDI and MB across three critical phases: pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown. The findings revealed both similarities and differences in framing. Throughout all phases, the Government Response frame appeared the most dominant, demonstrating its crucial role in shaping public discourse by emphasizing governmental actions and policies. The findings also underscore the significance of Government Response as a foundational frame in the study of crises, such as the pandemic. Results also showed differences in focus using other frames, such as the Economic Consequences and Human Interest frames. Additionally, the analysis of affective tones indicated a predominant use of neutral tones across articles, with variations in emotional framing between the two newspapers. These results highlight the influential role of news media in disseminating information and in shaping public discourse in the country during a time of crisis. Moreover, the study contributes insights into the significance of media framing studies in examining and understanding news media’s editorial approaches in reporting crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic



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