Media Representation of Scientists in Jornal Nacional: Reaffirmation of Stereotypes During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific authorities were routinely consulted by mainstream media outlets through interviews, statements and/or supporting images. In this framework, our goal in this study was to analyze the media representation of scientists in Brazil during the first year of this global public health crisis. To this end, we applied a research protocol and, using statistical techniques, quantitatively analyzed newscasts on the country's main TV news program, Jornal Nacional. On this program, scientists were interviewed about "vaccination," a topic of broad interest given that the vaccine had been described from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to cope with the public health crisis. We discuss information about gender, age, and race, the speaking time and screen time of these social actors, the format in which scientists are inserted into news reports, and the presence/absence of science icons. The data reveal that the predominant image of the scientist transmitted to the audience - a mature white man - reinforces stereotypes that persist in the media and in the public understanding of science.