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Global Bird Flu Communication: Hot Crisis and Media Reassurance

University of Toronto at Scarborough

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ungar{at}utsc.utoronto.ca.

	Abstract

Drawing predominately on a once-a-day Google News Alert for newspaper coverage of the "bird flu," this study examines global discourses on this topic in terms of alarming and reassuring coverage. Three stages of discourse are identified. The first is termed sounding the alarm, where fearful claims making predominates. The second is mixed messages, and involves a continuation of the threat with efforts to moderate it with elements of reassurance, including scientific promises and national plans to combat bird flu. The third stage is hot crisis and containment, and involves efforts to undo the most frightful elements of the avian mutation interpretative package as the H5N1 virus spreads into Europe.

First published on April 7, 2008, doi:10.1177/1075547008316219

Science Communication 2008;29:472.

A more recent version of this article appeared on June 1, 2008


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