Crisis Journalism and the Crisis of Journalism in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Fake News Published on the Telegram Channel of the IRNA News Agency

The rising popularity of various messengers and new media serves as a potent platform for spreading disinformation, particularly so in times of epidemics. Given the vast use of social media and online messaging channels by the public, regardless of their media literacy levels, it is crucial to identify and manage such cases. Crisis communication, in essence, involves the empowerment of individuals in society when confronting threats, ultimately paving the way for liberation from communal life. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the most significant health-related crisis humanity has faced, leading to immense challenges in daily life. With respect to the dissemination of fake news during this unprecedented time of crisis, the primary goal of this research is to shed light on the hidden themes found within the fake news published on the Telegram messaging platform. The study conducted a detailed examination of the phenomenon known as "infodemic" through an in-depth analysis of the Telegram channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency (IRNA) using a qualitative research methodology. The thematic analysis approach was employed to reveal six main themes: the announcement of the end of the corona epidemic, promotion of traditional medicine, discussion of the side effects of vaccination, reports on the alleged coronavirus infection among celebrities and public figures, the consumption of food items claimed to destroy the virus, and the economic aspects associated with the pandemic. The overarching theme entitled "Corona prevention, infection and end" also emerged as a dominant
Extended Abstract:
Introduction
The concept of crisis has constantly been interpreted and defined differently among scholars and thinkers, resulting in a lack of a unified and consistent definition to date. Despite the absence of consensus on a single definition, various interpretations have been presented based on diverse perspectives, illustrating the complexity and subjectivity involved in defining the term. The lack of consensus on the concept of crisis can be attributed to its multi-dimensional nature. A combination of psychological, socio-political, and structural-technological factors plays a key role in comprehending the concept and managing crises. Moreover, the media often wields significant influence in crisis situations, whether positively or negatively. When a crisis occurs, media outlets prioritize the development of strategies and guidelines to manage them effectively. During these critical times, the primary focus should shift from debating the causes of the issue and pointing out inadequacies in management. Instead, the emphasis should be on sharing accurate information and working towards resolution or mitigation. Individuals experience profound psychological impacts during a crisis, and it becomes crucial to prioritize fostering hope, focusing on resolving the issues at hand, and offering help to officials. Furthermore, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in Iran, the media emerged as a significant platform for raising numerous questions. A significant question in the context of the COVID-19 crisis centers on the role of media outlets in responding to it. In addressing this concern, a critical examination is being undertaken, particularly with respect to the phenomenon of fake news dissemination. Consequently, the news published in the Telegram Channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency (IRNA) has been selected for analysis and scrutiny. Evidently, the approach taken by each country's media in addressing both natural and man-made crises represents a crucial aspect of crisis management.
Research Method
To delve deeper into this topic, the current study employs a qualitative methodology enriched by a thematic analysis approach. Qualitative research methods have found extensive application in diverse areas, including learning, teaching, research, and scientific endeavors. More specifically, the adopted approach involves thematic analysis, a method used to analyze qualitative data and falls under the cluster of methods aimed at extracting semantic patterns from the data. In essence, this analysis process involves identifying recurrent patterns or themes embedded within the core of qualitative data. Thematic analysis, based on analytical induction, involves classifying and categorizing data to unveil patterns and meanings within (and beyond) the data itself. Alternatively, this method can be defined as the act of coding and scrutinizing data to fully comprehend the inherent insights it conveys. This form of analysis focuses on identifying patterns within the data, and once a pattern is identified, evidence must be provided to support the pattern’s existence. In essence, themes emerge organically from the data. In the context of this research, the dominant themes found in fake news published on the Telegram channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency (IRNA) have been examined.
For this purpose, fake news that was presented as genuine and published on this messaging platform has been collected and analyzed from the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, specifically from February 19, 2020, to February 19, 2022. In order to understand the themes, the researcher first needs to identify what aspects to look for in the data. At the end of the file, a brief description is composed for each theme. The text is then reviewed once more to identify any themes that the researcher may have overlooked and to reassess the related descriptions. The final section outlines the primary themes derived from the analysis. This explanation, accompanied by selected examples, clarifies the reasoning behind the theme identification. In the following phase, related concepts are grouped together for categorization, and descriptive codes are condensed. In the third phase, an attempt is made to identify the overarching themes.
Conclusions
Crisis journalism has been affected by simplification due to the multifaceted nature of crises and the difficulty in establishing effective communication. Additionally, crisis journalists tend to focus more on natural crises, partly due to a lack of theoretical understanding and insufficient technique, especially when it comes to social and human crises. In this regard, formulating and explaining theories and empirical approaches, as well as producing and strengthening specialized literature for crisis journalism, considering the necessity of distinguishing and differentiating between similar concepts such as risk communication and crisis communication, is crucial. This can enrich both empirical fields and academic domains. The present study examines the phenomenon of infodemic. The research identifies six main themes, including announcements regarding the end of the COVID-19 epidemic, the dissemination of traditional medicine, vaccine side effects, the infection of celebrities and public figures with COVID-19, claims about COVID-19 destroying food, and economic issues related to COVID-19. According to the conceptual review of the research, fake news presents misinformation and cannot be relied upon. The connection of such news with the health and lives of individuals raises several dangers. For instance, consuming a particular food item by a person infected with the virus can result in their death. In Iran, some advocates of traditional medicine also succumbed to the disease. In summary, the overall theme of the research titled "Prevention, Infection, and End of COVID-19" has been identified. To put it another way, the fake news examined in this study adheres to the central theme of prevention, infection, and end of COVID-19, which is the news that draws the most attention from the public and audiences.