An epidemic response: Framing the Zika virus risk crisis in Singapore

Abstract

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on the Zika virus, categorized as a global epidemic after reports of its detection in various countries and territories across the world epidemic. Since then, Zika had received widespread coverage in both the international and local news media. This study analyses The Straits Times (ST) one of Singapore’s major broadsheet to assess the framing of its news coverage from 1 January to 31 June 2016, in relation to the risks imposed by the Zika virus. Four key frames were identified: Information of risk-magnitude, citizen as risk manager, sensational content, and comparison of risk scenarios. Findings revealed that news courage was highly dominated by the frames of sensational content and comparison of risk scenarios that exhibits high sensationalism, and contained a significant amount of information to promote self-efficacy.