The discourse about COVID-19: a study in the press of Italy, Spain and Germany

• Autores: Reguero Sanz, Itziar, Martín Jiménez, Virginia Martín Jiménez, Berdón Prieto, Pablo, Herrero Izquierdo, Jacobo
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2021
• Institución: Universidad de Piura
• Repositorio: Revista de Comunicación
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:revistas.udep.edu.pe:article/2156
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistadecomunicacion.com/article/view/2156
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: COVID-19; prensa; opinión; España; Italia; Alemania; press; opinion; Spain; Italy; Germany

This research analyses the opinion articles about the COVID-19 published in the main newspapers of Italy, Spain and Germany. To this purpose, a qualitative inductive-deductive content analysis methodology has been used along two complementary phases. The first included the detailed analysis of the sample, and the second involved a method of comparative textual analysis using the Sketch Engine software. The results show the existence of some common issues about the virus, although with different approaches depending on the country: a certain vision marked by national politics in the Spanish case, an interpretative view in the case of Germany and a more social-humanistic perspective in the Italian dailies. A discourse contrary to generating panic is common in the three countries studied, but with a clear underestimation of the virus’ potential consequences in the first couple of months after the outbreak in Wuhan as regards the Spanish and Italian press.