Solving the crisis with “do-it-yourself heroes”? The media coverage on pioneer communities, Covid-19, and technological solutionism

Abstract Protective shields and medical devices produced in Makerspaces as well as the early detection of disease through self-measurement have been widely publicized in the media coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. This article systematically examines this phenomenon by analyzing the coverage of the Maker and Quantified Self movements in Germany and the UK. Through a discourse analysis of (online) newspapers, the article demonstrates that during the pandemic the coverage of both pioneer communities was markedly positive. Makers were often portrayed as problem solvers, while Quantified Self members were depicted as seismographs of the pandemic. Overall, our analysis reveals an overarching narrative that constructs members of these groups as “do-it-yourself heroes” who respond to the Covid-19 pandemic through their experimental practices, promoting a form of technological solutionism.