Media and Information in Times of Crisis: The Case of the COVID-19 Infodemic

Media play an important role in informing the public about issues on the political agenda, different opinions, and public statements, thereby establishing and bringing forth new spaces of information flow. One of the media’s main roles in democratic societies is to give publicity to central issues on the political and public agenda, especially in times of crisis. Nevertheless, studies have found that, in times of crisis, the public and the media tend to “rally ’round the flag,” leading to significant decreases in their criticality, alongside (almost) unreserved support for nation(al) or region(al) leaders. This paper aims to bridge the gap between both media and communication studies and geography by focusing on the interaction between media, space, and society. It will first address the role of media and information in times of crisis, then discuss the importance and dangers of homogenous (digital and mainstream) media discourses and technologies and offer a conceptual model for the role of media and information in times of crisis. Finally, we will examine the role of media and information during the COVID-19 infodemic and offer questions and directions for future studies.