Media representation of African individuals in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 30 August 2024
Issue publication date: 21 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of media representation on the mental health of Australians of African descent during the COVID-19 pandemic. By analysing the media coverage of COVID-19 restriction breaches, particularly focusing on individuals from African backgrounds, the study aims to shed light on how racially charged narratives can contribute to emotional distress and exacerbate feelings of alienation within these communities. The findings highlight the detrimental effects of such portrayals, emphasising the need for more responsible and inclusive media reporting to safeguard the mental well-being of culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed media content analysis to explore representations of Australians of African origin versus the broader Anglo–Australian population during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on racial identity’s impact on news coverage of COVID-19 restriction breaches. Researchers classified and distilled extensive textual content, using a diverse sample from various ethnic-racial backgrounds, with an emphasis on African Australians within the CALD community. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo (version 12) software, following an inductive approach.
Findings
The findings underscore the consistent portrayal of people from African communities as outsiders and the racial profiling they experience in media coverage of significant issues like COVID-19.
Originality/value
There is very limited research that examines the impact of media coverage on African migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding declarations: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Author contribution: Authors WA and BT conceptualized the paper and wrote the introduction, discussion and conclusion sections, and RA and AB performed the literature search and wrote the methodological section.
Data availability: Data supporting this study are openly available from Factiva and Newspaper databases in Australia.
Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Citation
Akosile, W., Tiyatiye, B., Bojuwoye, A. and Antabe, R. (2024), "Media representation of African individuals in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 540-556. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-11-2023-0105
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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