TV news bulletins have used footage from inside hospitals that are treating patients afflicted by coronavirus. Marina Morani, Maria Kyriakidou, Nikki Soo and Stephen Cushion (University of Cardiff) look at the ethical issues raised by these reports, and what the public thinks of them

Kyriakidou, Maria

Morani, Marina

Soo, Nikki

English

LSE Research Online

The 'hospectacle' of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see?LSE Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/104677/Version: Published VersionOnline resource:Morani, Marina, Kyriakidou, Maria and Soo, Nikki (2020) The 'hospectacle' of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see? LSE COVID-19 Blog (29 May 2020). Blog Entry. lseresearchonline@lse.ac.ukhttps://eprints.lse.ac.uk/ ReuseItems deposited in LSE Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the LSE Research Online record for the item.The	‘hospectacle’	of	reporting	from	ICUs:	what	doesthe	public	want	to	see?TV	news	bulletins	have	used	footage	from	inside	hospitals	that	are	treating	patients	afflicted	by	coronavirus.	MarinaMorani,	Maria	Kyriakidou,	Nikki	Soo	and	Stephen	Cushion	(University	of	Cardiff)	look	at	the	ethical	issuesraised	by	these	reports,	and	what	the	public	thinks	of	them.The	public	have	largely	turned	to	broadcast	media	for	trusted	and	reliable	information	since	the	outbreak	of	COVID-19.	With	fake	news	and	conspiracy	theories	spreading	rapidly	online,	news	organisations	are	under	unprecedentedpressure	to	provide	accurate	and	informative	coverage.Photo:	Theen	Moy	via	a	CC-BY-NC-SA	2.0	licenceAt	the	same	time,	reporting	the	unpredictable	course	of	a	novel	virus	that	has	led	to	so	many	deaths	and	causedwidespread	fear	and	anxiety	among	the	public	remains	highly	challenging	for	journalists.	There	is	the	particularquestion	of	how	to	show	the	life-threatening	health	effects	on	those	affected	while	also	safeguarding	the	mentalhealth	of	media	workers.	Broadcasters	already	have	limited	resources	and	face	barriers	of	access	to	report	frominside	hospitals.	Yet	media	organisations	have	urged	hospitals	to	open	their	doors	to	cameras	because	they	believethere	is	a	public	demand	for	this	kind	of	coverage.	Governments	that	restrict	hospital	access	can	limit	publicunderstanding	of	the	severity	of	the	pandemic.Our	study	of	UK	television	news	coverage	of	COVID-19	showed	broadcasters	have	regularly	reported	from	thefrontline	of	NHS	operations	in	intensive	care	units	(ICUs).	Along	with	an	ongoing	study	of	people’s	knowledge	andunderstanding	of	media	coverage,	our	analysis	highlights	the	informative	value	of	in-hospital	reporting	while	alsoraising	important	questions	about	its	impact	on	healthcare	workers	and	operational	safety,	patient	privacy,	and	thefine	editorial	line	between	news	reporting	and	intrusive	spectacle.TV	coverage	as	a	warningOur	study	examined	the	main	UK	evening	TV	news	bulletins	–	BBC	News	at	Ten,	ITV	News	at	Ten,	Sky	News	atTen,	Channel	5	at	5pm	and	Channel	4	News	–	between	13-19	April,	and	found	11	stories	filmed	inside	hospitals,including	two	international	reports.LSE Covid 19 Blog: The ‘hospectacle’ of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see? Page 1 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-05-29Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/05/29/the-hospectacle-of-reporting-from-icus-what-does-the-public-want-to-see/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/We	found	healthcare	workers	were	usually	the	face	of	the	stories	guiding	the	reporter	through	the	hospital	wards.They	were	mostly	filmed	working	long	hours	in	full	personal	protective	equipment	while	adapting	to	transformedhospital	settings	and	new	safety	guidelines.	Their	professionalism,	dedication	and	teamwork	across	a	range	ofduties	were	emphasised	by	journalists.	But	they	were	also	shown	as	individuals,	revealing	their	emotions	andconcerns	over	patients,	their	family,	and	their	personal	safety.Several	news	stories	involved	healthcare	workers	documenting	their	shifts	through	a	video	diary.	This	provided	apersonal	insight	into	the	daily	lives	of	critical	NHS	workers,	going	beyond	statistics	about	deaths	and	reported	casesthat	typically	feature	at	the	beginning	of	news	bulletins.We’re	very	proud	of	@AlicePallot	who	was	on	@BBCEngland	earlier	today!	If	you	missed	it	you	canwatch	it	here!	‘We	don’t	look	after	numbers	or	statistics,	we	look	after	people’	@bbchealth@BBCSouthNews	@UHSFT	#Covid_19	#ICU	#Nurse	#UHS	pic.twitter.com/wYjVhoQll8—	UHS	Critical	Care	(@UHS_CritCare)	April	18,	2020Coverage	often	included	nurses	and	doctors	making	direct	pleas	to	the	public	about	observing	social	distancing	andstaying	safe	during	the	lockdown.	This	was	underlined	by	reporters	who	revealed	that	the	reason	for	filming	inside	ahospital	was	to	act	as	a	deterrent,	stressing	the	importance	for	people	to	stay	at	home.For	example,	introducing	a	report	filmed	inside	Epsom	and	St	Helier	hospitals,	Channel	4’s	health	and	social	carecorrespondent	said:Let’s	get	this	straight:	the	reason	that	we	were	allowed	onto	that	intensive	care	unit	to	film	in	the	firstplace	is	because	it	serves	as	a	warning,	a	real	warning	that	you	simply	do	not	want	this	to	happen	toyou.Several	news	stories	also	gave	a	voice	to	patients	at	different	stages	of	treatment	or	recovery,	granting	them	theopportunity	to	share	their	reflections	and	gratitude	to	carers.Two	reports	were	filmed	in	international	hospitals.	The	BBC	on	15	April	showed	a	video	diary	filmed	by	a	doctorduring	her	shift	in	a	hospital	in	Brooklyn,	where	the	spread	of	the	virus	had	started	to	slow.	ITV	was	granted	accessto	the	Wuhan	hospital	at	the	centre	of	the	global	outbreak	in	China	when	it	was	discharging	its	last	five	patients.The	reports	provided	an	opportunity	to	reflect	on	the	intensity	of	the	past	months	and	emotional	burden	onhealthcare	workers	as	their	fight	against	the	pandemic	is	coming	to	an	end.	The	reports	hinted	at	the	future	journeyand	processes	that	the	UK	is	expected	to	follow	in	the	course	of	its	own	treatment	of	the	pandemic.Information	or	spectacle?In	addition	to	our	analysis	of	TV	news,	we	are	regularly	asking	just	under	200	participants	to	share	their	views	abouthow	the	media	are	reporting	the	pandemic.	This	qualitative	study	of	a	representative	mix	of	the	UK	populationasked	respondents	between	7-10	May	for	their	thoughts	on	coverage	about	COVID-19	patients	and	healthcareworkers	inside	hospitals.Our	findings	revealed	that	participants	were	overwhelmingly	in	favour	of	such	coverage,	as	it	showed	the	humanimpact	of	the	virus	and	how	people	were	emotionally	affected	by	it.	As	one	participant	put	it,	reporting	insidehospitals	helps	convey	“the	real	raw	emotions	of	staff	and	patients”.	A	number	of	responses	highlighted	that	in-hospital	reporting	acted	as	a	deterrent	to	breaking	lockdown	rules	and	that	it	helped	people	understand	“howdangerous	coronavirus	is,	and	the	sacrifices	frontline	staff	are	making	to	look	after	patients”.While	most	participants	would	welcome	more	inside	hospital	coverage	of	COVID-19	including	more	testimoniesfrom	recovered	patients,	some	voiced	strong	objections	to	reporting	at	the	frontline.	A	variety	of	reasons	weregiven,	including	privacy	and	ethical	concerns	for	vulnerable	patients	who	cannot	provide	consent.Another	critical	point	was	the	presence	of	the	camera	crew	inside	the	intensive	ward,	which	was	perceived	by	somerespondents	as	being	potentially	disruptive	to	medical	staff	and	compromising	safety.	A	small	number	of	responseschallenged	the	informative	value	of	in-hospital	reporting	as	it	exploited	suffering	for	what	they	saw	as	a	mediaspectacle.	One	participant	commented:LSE Covid 19 Blog: The ‘hospectacle’ of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see? Page 2 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-05-29Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/05/29/the-hospectacle-of-reporting-from-icus-what-does-the-public-want-to-see/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/It	is	unnecessary	and	increases	the	risk	of	spreading	the	virus	to	people	that	did	not	need	to	come	intocontact	with	patients	suffering	from	this	illness.	I	think	this	has	been	done	for	shock	value	and	ratingsonly	and	is	exploitative	of	the	patients	and	their	families.	None	of	the	information	in	this	report	requiredthe	reporters	to	visit	an	actual	hospital	ward.Finally,	many	participants	pointed	out	audiences	might	be	emotionally	distressed	by	inside	hospital	footage	andraised	concerns	that	such	images	would	affect	viewers	already	experiencing	mental	health	issues	or	anxiety.	At	thesame	time,	a	few	raised	concerns	that	these	reports	might	start	to	‘merge	together’,	contributing	to	a	desensitisationto	human	suffering	and	a	wider	compassion	fatigue	among	the	public.Striking	the	right	balanceOverall,	the	responses	in	our	study	reveal	the	difficulty	in	striking	an	editorial	balance	between	transparent	reportingat	the	frontline	of	hospitals,	while	not	causing	too	much	emotional	distress	among	viewers,	healthcare	staff	andreporters.	However,	most	respondents	recognised	the	value	of	reporting	from	inside	hospitals,	in	order	to	conveythe	human	suffering	of	the	pandemic	and	to	encourage	people	to	observe	social	distancing	guidelines.	Thisrepresents	an	important	public	service	if	broadcasters	want	to	be	transparent	about	the	severity	of	the	health	crisis.This	post	represents	the	views	of	the	authors	and	not	those	of	the	COVID-19	blog,	nor	LSE.LSE Covid 19 Blog: The ‘hospectacle’ of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see? Page 3 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-05-29Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/05/29/the-hospectacle-of-reporting-from-icus-what-does-the-public-want-to-see/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/

The 'hospectacle' of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see?

http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/104677/3/Kyriakidou_the_hospectacle_of_reporting_from_icus_what_does_published.pdf

The 'hospectacle' of reporting from ICUs: what does the public want to see?

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

LSE Research Online