The Research Of The Comparative Study Of People’s Daily "SARS" And "HIN1flu" Report

Since the21st century, our society has been enjoying the spiritual and materialprogress, and inevitably has been subject to the suddenly-outbreak disease hazardingpeople’s health. Atypical pneumonia (hereinafter referred to as SARS) of2003which poses the threat on people’s health and life brings about the terror in public’spsychology. Influenza A (H1N1)(hereinafter referred to as H1N1flu) of2009spreads into our country from Mexico across the pacific ocean, which makes publicfeel the serious threat imposed by public health events like infectious d isease. Suchthreats affect people’s health, social stability and economic growth. A series of publichealth events raise a demanding challenge for government to carry out the effectivecrisis management. Meanwhile, it arouses public’s reflection about the coverage ofmajor disease reported by the media.At the beginning of outbreak of SARS in2003, the mainstream media is criticizedbecause of collective aphasia. After the absence of SARS epidemic, society, institutionand media all reflect themselves pro foundly. There appears an unprecedented changesince after in terms of similar events. The thesis attempts to draw on the experienceand lessons through the comparative study between SARS coverage of2003and H1N1flu coverage of2009in People’s Daily. The purpose is to make mass media reportcorrectly and serve the community better.From the aspect of news form, People’s Daily focuses on the force effect of newswith large amount and length in the middle and late coverage of SARS while itperfectly controls the rhythm in dealing with H1N1flu coverage, trying to leave thenews and disease trends compatible with short and concise coverage. In the aspect oflayout and genre, the layout highlights the important points and genre adopts newsform in the period of SARS. However, in the period of H1N1flu, the layout is quiteclear and the genre is much extensive, which shows that the crisis report begins tobecome routine, as well as presenting the crisis event in the form of extensive coverage.The coverage of two diseases uses numerous pictures, but the report of SARS usesthem much more frequently.From the content, two reports of disease in People’s Daily also present differentcharacteristics. For the SARS in2003, owing to the fact that People’s Daily has notmastered the reported method of emergent public health events, the source of coveragealmost comes from authority and the report lacks the masses perspective. The topicsmainly include news-directed facts coverage and headlines are profound in terms of meaning. Besides, the language in the report is also rigid with less direct quotation. Onthe other hand, in the period of H1N1flu, People’s Daily seizes the opportunity andtakes the initiative, so it grasps the dominance of public opinion immediately. It showsthe much extensive sources of news and the headlines of knowledge-directed coverageare simple and clear, neutral and unbiased. Meanwhile, the frequency of quotationsincreases. But there is one shortcoming that the coverage of H1N1flu still la cks theperspective of mass and takes less consideration of patients.Tow reports of the disease are obviously different thanks to the adjustment ofcommunication strategy in People’s Daily. From the angle of features in differentstages, the coverage of SARS experiences three stages: blocking the negative news,insisting on the positive report and alleviating the negative influence of disease. Whilethe coverage of H1N1flu experiences another three stages: crisis warning,full-perspective report and soothing audiences’ feelings. The different coverage of twodiseases reflected by the incubation of the period of crisis, the outbreak period andregression of crisis shows that the strategy of report on the public health emergencyand events in People’s Daily has been improved a great deal. The position of coverageshifts from reporter-centered to audience-centered and the concept shifts from officialposition to people position. The content shifts from information control toinformation disclosure.On the basis of comparison of form, content and communication strategy in thecoverage in People’s Daily, it can be seen that under the circumstances of mediacommunication, People’s Daily faces new challenge to carry out the emergent eventsof disease. People’s Daily, first of all, should know well the responsibilities taken invarious stages in the emergent events: establishment of early warning, masteringpublic opinion, diverting public opinion and restoring the order. Based on that, itshould seize the initiative, identifying the priority and respect the authority, as well asenhancing the coverage on scientific knowledge in related fields.Within ten years, from the changes in two reports of disease conducted byPeople’s Daily, it shows the progress in terms of information disclosure and theprotection of public right for government and media. It can be expected that theconstant progress of coverage of public health emergencies made by media in ourcountry will become the main force of coping with crisis and building harmony.