Lessons From Senior Journalists’ Coverage of the First Wave of COVID-19: The Significance of Professional Expertise and Hybrid Work

Authors

  • Azi Lev-On Ariel University
  • Judith Yehezkelly Ariel University

Keywords:

journalism, COVID-19, professionalism, hybrid work

Abstract

Numerous articles have explored the media coverage of the COVID-19 crisis in mainstream and social media. However, research examining journalists’ experiences is still missing. This study is based on a thematic analysis of 20 interviews with prominent journalists from various media outlets—print, Internet, television, and radio—who served as field reporters, health journalists, or editors during the first wave of the pandemic in Israel, about their observations on how the pandemic influenced and transformed the journalistic profession. The study revealed two key findings. First, there was renewed appreciation for basing journalistic reporting on consultations with experts. Second, there was a growing recognition of the importance of hybrid work, acknowledging that future journalistic work would increasingly include broadcasts and other activities from reporters’ homes or locations in close proximity to them.

Author Biographies

Azi Lev-On, Ariel University

Prof. Azi Lev-On is a faculty member in the School of Communication in Ariel University. His research focuses on the social and political uses and perceived effects of social media, including public participation and deliberation online, online communities, collective action and campaigns, and behaviors in computer-mediated environments, employing a variety of methods such as content analysis, interviews and laboratory experiments.

Judith Yehezkelly, Ariel University

Dr. Judith Yehezkelly is a former senior journalist in Israel with many years of experience. She conducts research on media coverage and its effects on journalists, particularly in emergency and post-traumatic situations.

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Published

2024-09-28

Issue

Section

Articles