Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic
Exactly one year ago, between February and March 2020, the COVID-19 infection went from an epidemic confined to China to a worldwide pandemic that was particularly lethal in Italy. This study examined the media accounts during that period by analysing the representation of death-related constructs i...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/11/3/41 |
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| author | Sheldon Solomon Daniele Rostellato Ines Testoni Fiorella Calabrese Guido Biasco |
| author_facet | Sheldon Solomon Daniele Rostellato Ines Testoni Fiorella Calabrese Guido Biasco |
| author_sort | Sheldon Solomon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exactly one year ago, between February and March 2020, the COVID-19 infection went from an epidemic confined to China to a worldwide pandemic that was particularly lethal in Italy. This study examined the media accounts during that period by analysing the representation of death-related constructs in Corriere della Sera, the most widely read newspaper in Italy. A textual and thematic analysis of articles published between period A (epidemic: 23 January–22 February 2020) and period B (pandemic: 23 February–31 March 2020) was conducted using Nvivo-11. A total of 141 articles comprising 48,524 words were collected. The most utilised words and meanings linked to COVID-19 were computed. In the rank distribution, ‘China’ and ’virus’ were the terms most frequently used in both periods. The terms ‘death’ and ‘dead’ were completely absent in period A and appeared in the 535th position in period B. The term ‘dead’ was used primarily to indicate the number of deceased. From a Terror Management Theory perspective, it is possible that the minimal reference to death-related issues was a reflection of death denial and a manifestation of efforts to deny death to manage terror. These findings highlight the ambiguities and ambivalence surrounding any issue pertaining to death; on the one side, undue alarmism may provoke exaggerated reactions, such as moral panic, while on the other denial-based messages that minimise references to mortality may reduce safe behaviour during a pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:58:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ccd3d6e826549b1902986bfb7114247 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:58:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ccd3d6e826549b1902986bfb71142472023-11-21T11:39:39ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2021-03-011134110.3390/bs11030041Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 PandemicSheldon Solomon0Daniele Rostellato1Ines Testoni2Fiorella Calabrese3Guido Biasco4Psychology Department, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USADepartment of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied psychology (FISPPA), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Science (DCTV), University of Padova, 35128 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Specialistic, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyExactly one year ago, between February and March 2020, the COVID-19 infection went from an epidemic confined to China to a worldwide pandemic that was particularly lethal in Italy. This study examined the media accounts during that period by analysing the representation of death-related constructs in Corriere della Sera, the most widely read newspaper in Italy. A textual and thematic analysis of articles published between period A (epidemic: 23 January–22 February 2020) and period B (pandemic: 23 February–31 March 2020) was conducted using Nvivo-11. A total of 141 articles comprising 48,524 words were collected. The most utilised words and meanings linked to COVID-19 were computed. In the rank distribution, ‘China’ and ’virus’ were the terms most frequently used in both periods. The terms ‘death’ and ‘dead’ were completely absent in period A and appeared in the 535th position in period B. The term ‘dead’ was used primarily to indicate the number of deceased. From a Terror Management Theory perspective, it is possible that the minimal reference to death-related issues was a reflection of death denial and a manifestation of efforts to deny death to manage terror. These findings highlight the ambiguities and ambivalence surrounding any issue pertaining to death; on the one side, undue alarmism may provoke exaggerated reactions, such as moral panic, while on the other denial-based messages that minimise references to mortality may reduce safe behaviour during a pandemic.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/11/3/41COVID-19 outbreakpandemicterror management theorymoral panicCorriere della Seradenial of death |
| spellingShingle | Sheldon Solomon Daniele Rostellato Ines Testoni Fiorella Calabrese Guido Biasco Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic Behavioral Sciences COVID-19 outbreak pandemic terror management theory moral panic Corriere della Sera denial of death |
| title | Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Journalistic Denial of Death during the Very First Traumatic Period of the Italian COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | journalistic denial of death during the very first traumatic period of the italian covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 outbreak pandemic terror management theory moral panic Corriere della Sera denial of death |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/11/3/41 |
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