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Sensationalism vs. information during COVID-19 in Ecuador: A framing theory-based view

Abstract:

The different frames used in the COVID-19 coverage in Ecuador by the national and international press were analyzed through their Twitter accounts. This allowed the examination of which aspects of the pandemic were given greater prominence by each newspaper. The study was based on five generic frames, between 17 March and 16 April 2020. The exploration of these frames was carried out by means of an intersubjective content analysis, using four previously trained encoders. The dominant frames for COVID-19 in Ecuador varied according to the media group studied. 1) The concept of heterogeneity was confirmed within framing theory, according to which a single reality, understood as a textual and visual construct, is addressed in multiple ways by the selection of certain aspects that are given greater emphasis or priority; 2) international newspapers and, to a lesser extent, the national press showed their propensity to "internalize" the dynamic of sensationalism; and 3) there are discrepancies in the interests of the readerships with respect to the dominant frames in the media.