China’s Media and Covid-19: a content analysis of caixin, xinhua and people’s daily

Abstract

This is not the first time China has faced a virus-created health crisis. Over the past two decades, two of the three zoonotic coronavirus outbreaks - namely the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) in 2003 and Severe Acute Diarrhoea Syndrome Coronavirus (SADS-CoV) in 2012- began in China. Both caused worldwide pandemic and claimed thousands of human or animal lives. A paper authored by a scientist of the Wuhan Institute of Virology predicted in January 2019 the high likelihood of a SARS or Middle East outbreaks Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-like coronavr in China.' Ironically, the same research centre has been accused by tnc US President Donald Trump caused by the COVID-19 to be the reason behind the massive global damage outbreak.2 More importantly though, Chinese state medias response to the COVID-19 has come under severe criticism from several quartcrs