The press in pandemic mode: an approach to the information agendas of Expreso and El País on COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 radically changed the media's information agendas, considering the turnaround it caused in the global economy and people's daily lives. In this context, the media has been a reference in the construction of reality and public information during the pandemic. Objectives: This research identified the characters, institutions, territories, topics, controversies and lifestyles associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed through the contents of two media in Ecuador and Colombia. Methodology: Using the Historical-Discursive Method (MHD), we analyzed the articles on COVID-19 published in the digital version of the newspapers Expreso, from Guayaquil (Ecuador), and El País, from Cali (Colombia) during the months of March and April 2020. Results: The analysis revealed the tensions between the political exercise and health priorities. It shows that the mayors of Guayaquil and Cali were the focus of the information, and that epidemiological data and information on health measures were prioritized. Conclusion: Our study established that coverage of COVID-19 focused on pandemic data did not contribute to citizens assimilating the risk of the disease, and maintaining lifestyles that caused the number of infections to grow exponentially.