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How The Media's Response To H1N1 Compares To COVID-19
There are several differences in the media's response to H1N1 and COVID-19, Nowak explained.
For one, media coverage is more frequent when actions by the government or other oversight agencies are new and sweeping, as has been the case with evolving stay-at-home orders in the COVID-19 era. Disconnects between health measures, the economy, political parties, state and federal orders, demands for more testing amid a limited supply, all result in more stories.
"This is a completely new experience, having to deal with a pandemic caused by a coronavirus," Nowak said. "(The CDC) always planned for pandemics that would be caused by flu viruses."
What's compounding coverage now is the reality that there are many more news outlets than there were in 2009, and more platforms such as Twitter and Instagram on which to spread that information. In 2009, Fox News wasn't as large, and outlets such as Stat and Vox didn't exist yet, Nowak said.
And as for social media, the CDC didn't even have a Twitter account in 2009. That didn't happen until May 2010.
But in 2009, there also was a sense of certainty about the future. H1N1 hit the scene as flu season was coming to a close and a vaccine was developed in enough time to get it into the next flu season's immunization shots.
There's less certainty with COVID-19, which spreads much easier and can be transmitted by people who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, Nowak said.
There are several differences in the media's response to H1N1 and COVID-19, Nowak explained.
For one, media coverage is more frequent when actions by the government or other oversight agencies are new and sweeping, as has been the case with evolving stay-at-home orders in the COVID-19 era. Disconnects between health measures, the economy, political parties, state and federal orders, demands for more testing amid a limited supply, all result in more stories.
"This is a completely new experience, having to deal with a pandemic caused by a coronavirus," Nowak said. "(The CDC) always planned for pandemics that would be caused by flu viruses."
What's compounding coverage now is the reality that there are many more news outlets than there were in 2009, and more platforms such as Twitter and Instagram on which to spread that information. In 2009, Fox News wasn't as large, and outlets such as Stat and Vox didn't exist yet, Nowak said.
And as for social media, the CDC didn't even have a Twitter account in 2009. That didn't happen until May 2010.
But in 2009, there also was a sense of certainty about the future. H1N1 hit the scene as flu season was coming to a close and a vaccine was developed in enough time to get it into the next flu season's immunization shots.
There's less certainty with COVID-19, which spreads much easier and can be transmitted by people who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, Nowak said.
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