The representation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Chinese media

Abstract

In the early 2000s the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza captured the attention of the world's media. While China is often considered the epicentre of the panzootic, few studies have explored coverage of this variant of avian flu in China. To address this issue, the authors examined the portrayal of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza across four Chinese newspapers at the local and national level. A textual analysis was performed on 160 articles across an eight-year period from 2001–2008. The study approach drew from Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Representation Theory. The headline analysis showed the extent that risk of the disease was subverted by the depiction of a strong and efficient ‘China’ that was a global leader in the fight against the disease. Ideological referents were called upon to stress teamwork in confronting the crisis. The diachronic analysis illustrated how the relationship between commercial interests, science and public health risks played out within the Chinese media.

Keywords:

• risk
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
• H5N1
• Critical Discourse Analysis
• China
• Bird Flu
• emerging diseases

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr Hujun Li for assistance in collating and translating the news articles. The Authors would like to thank the Wellcome Trust's Livestock for Life Programme for funding this research.

Notes

1. The first case of SARS was identified in November 2002 in Guangzhou Province, however no surveillance network was created, allowing the disease to spread rapidly. The Government also suppressed information regarding the outbreak. A WHO team sent to China to investigate the outbreak in February 2003 was only allowed to travel to infected areas in April 2003 (Freeman and Lu 2009). Later, the Health Minister, Zhang Wenkang lost his job for his handling of the crisis (27 June 2006, Xinhua News).