The coverage of dengue and zika in selected Malaysian newspapers: an analysis of Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and The Star

Sedu, Nerawi and Mohamad Diah, Nurazzura (2017) The coverage of dengue and zika in selected Malaysian newspapers: an analysis of Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and The Star. In: 4th International Conference on Human Sustainability 2017 (INSAN4), 1st-2nd November 2017, Melaka, Malaysia.

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Abstract

This study is aimed to analyze the coverage of news on dengue and zika in three mainstream daily Malaysian newspapers i.e. Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and The Star. The data for this study were collected from the print version of these newspapers for a period of a month i.e. November 2016. The newspapers were selected due to their circulation figures and they were also circulated nationwide. It is important to note that dengue and Zika are mosquito borne diseases or epidemics and they are spread by Aedes mosquito species. While dengue is regarded as health threats for decades in Malaysia, the first case of Zika infection was recorded quite recently, i.e. 31 August 2016. This study is significant in order to understand how the newspapers reported the news on dengue and Zika in helping the readers to be well informed on mosquito borne diseases and enhancing awareness of the diseases among Malaysians. The news or feature articles from the Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia and The Star were analyzed using thematic analysis, focusing on the expressions or phrases and other news elements used by the newspapers to report the epidemics. The findings of the study showed that there were several common themes in the news or feature articles on dengue and Zika epidemics published by these newspapers.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Plenary Papers)
Additional Information:	3174/61608
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Dengue; zika; health information; newspaper; diseases.
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam > BP174 The Practice of Islam B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP1 Islam > BP174 The Practice of Islam > BP188 Islamic religious life R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA643 Communicable Diseases and Public Health
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Qur’an and Sunnah
Depositing User:	Mr Nerawi Sedu
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2018 10:02
Last Modified:	26 Jun 2018 15:01
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/61608

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