A framing analysis of the New York Times coverage of Ebola

Before COVID-19-dominated news media, the world was gripped by another public health emergency: Ebola. Infectious disease outbreaks and their ability to cross borders capture media and public interest. The United States recorded its first Ebola diagnosis and fatality in 2014 when a traveller from Liberia arrived in Dallas. This was immediately followed by chaotic and prominent news coverage that disrupted effective public health communication about the disease. Researchers previously found that the media’s framing of such health emergencies can influence public policy and public perception and response. However, little is known about what narrative techniques US media employed in their Ebola coverage. In this framing analysis, the authors uncovered six dominant frames: foreign vs. local intervention; reliance on western experts; harmful characterizations of illness; illusions of control; misrepresentations of Africa and patient privacy norms. Findings hold implications for journalists who cover public health emergencies.