An analysis of Zimbabwean mainstream print media representation of COVID-19 pandemic infodemic communication disorders

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a parallel “infodemic,” characterised by an overabundance of information, including false or misleading content, which complicated public understanding of the crisis. This study explored how Zimbabwean mainstream print media represented COVID-19 infodemic communication disorders during the first phase of the pandemic in 2020, focusing on The Sunday Mail and The Standard. In this study, misinformation and disinformation were conceptualised as core forms of infodemic communication disorders, alongside malinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories, thereby anchoring these concepts within the broader infodemic framework. Guided by representation theory, framing theory, and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and a qualitative methodology. Data were collected from 32 newspaper articles published between 1 May and 31 August 2020 and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis and van Dijk’s critical discourse analysis. The findings indicate that media representations of COVID-19 were shaped by ideological positioning, selective framing, and discursive strategies that both reinforced and contested infodemic communication disorders. The analysis reveals a consistent pattern of fear-inducing frames to emphasise the severity of the pandemic. Moreover, in both newspapers, a multi-pronged debunking strategy was adopted, however, there were significant gaps in corrective discourse and scientific clarification. The study provides a nuanced understanding of how print media not only reflects but also constructs social and ideological meanings in response to COVID-19 pandemic infodemic communication disorders. It was concluded that mainstream print media played a complex role in the framing, circulation and contestation of misinformation and disinformation, with implications for public trust, health communication, and responsible journalism during pandemics. The study contributes to scholarship on media and health communication by providing a localised and theory-informed analysis of the representation of infodemic communication disorders in Zimbabwe, offering valuable insights for media professionals, policymakers and the public