Framing a Global Pandemic: Journalism Cultures and Media Coverage of COVID-19 in China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States

Using a computational approach, this study analyzes and compares news coverage of the novel coronavirus in six major newspapers (i.e. China Daily, The Korea Times, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, and The Times) from four countries (i.e. the U.S. the UK, South Korea, and China) that were severely affected in the beginning of the recent pandemic. Results show similarities and differences in how these elite newspapers used major frames of COVID-19 including medical, social, and containment during the first months of the pandemic. China Daily, however, adopted an additional frame of fending off. Statistical test results also indicated differences in how these outlets incorporated fear appeal messages into their news content. Specifically, the Western news organizations were significantly more likely than the Asian outlets to use fear in their coverage. Findings are discussed in the context of differences in the journalism culture and media coverage of the pandemic in the four studied countries.