Comparing CNN and Fox News Coverage: A Study of Media Bias and Effects on the COVID-19 Outbreak by Lilly Chesler

 

   The original outbreak of Covid-19 was a significant event in history. It was all that was being talked about and was in the news everywhere. Although everyone had the same information about the disease, it was reported differently amongst news outlets. Specifically, CNN vs Fox news shared many differences in how they reported the disease, but also shared some similarities as well. 

    Starting off with CNN, their main focus was the public's health and the global response as a whole, this makes sense as CNN is known to usually have a center-left stance in situations like this. Many of CNNs reports focused on how to avoid the virus, the current status of the spreading of the virus, statistics surrounding public health, the hard work from healthcare professionals, and more. One early article is titled “The deadly new coronavirus is starting to spread in the US. Here’s how to protect yourself”. This article was originally published in January 2020, so right around the time the virus started to spread to the US. The article talks about how many people the virus has affected, what scientists are doing in an attempt to help find a cure, and what you can do to protect yourself. They mention to avoid close contact with anyone who has symptoms of the disease, as they proceed to describe the specific symptoms as well, to warn the public when they should be getting tested. CNN also talked about how other countries were dealing with this huge outbreak, in an attempt to share valuable lessons and tips that could be used by our country to stop the spread of the virus as much as we can.

Moving on to Fox news, they took more of a political and economic approach to the entire situation, rather than the physical health of the public. This approach makes sense as well since Fox news is known to be more on the conservative side.  Their main concerns were the economic impact covid would have on the United States, along with Donald Trump's recommendations and procedures. They also seemed more concerned about the They also seemed more concerned about the implications of lockdowns on individual freedoms and the potential overreach of government authority.  One article titled “America locked down: 2020's most controversial coronavirus-era restrictions'' Talks about many of the economic consequences of the pandemic not only in the U.S but in the entire world as well. Specifically, this article touches upon the CDC guidelines, discussing their impact on businesses, traveling, job loss, and even the presidential election.  Fox news was very focused on the financial strain caused by covid and how the unemployment rate was going to affect our country in the long run.

After discussing the way both news articles reported this historical event, it's clear that they both had very different approaches. CNN news focused more on how Covid-19 could affect public health and safety procedures, while fox news main focus was the economy and financial concerns. Although they have their differences, they also share some similarities. Both news articles were extremely up to date and informative about the disease as a whole. They were both constantly providing statistics on deaths, infection rates, and recovery numbers. One subject they both often talked about was a vaccine. Both news channels showed a need for a vaccine as soon as possible, despite their different perspectives of the pandemic. Fox news and CNN recognized the severity of this disease, and had a goal of doing everything they can to inform the public with whatever information they could.