NCM reviewed COVID-19-related coverage in ethnic media in collaboration with MIREMS, a media monitoring service. Overshadowed by the steady stream of mainstream media coverage, a content analysis of ethnic media outlets shows how they have kept their audiences informed during the pandemic. Compra Y Venta is one of several Latin American newspapers available in the Greater Toronto Area. Image Credit: Shan Qiao/NCM Stock Photo For the past two months, the story of COVID-19’s spread across Canada has been the primary focus of mainstream news organizations. While this story has garnered much attention from media critics, little attention has been paid to how Canadian ethnic media outlets have covered the coronavirus outbreak. This analysis has been produced with the recognition of this fact in mind. The review of hundreds of media clips from February 28 to May 1, 2020, shows that ethnic media has been effective in keeping its audiences informed during the COVID-19 outbreak. When it comes to conveying government messages, particularly those of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the tone of the coverage has been neutral and balanced. Furthermore, media across the ethnic spectrum have likewise reported many of the key government announcements to fight COVID-19, such as orders to self-isolate, coupled with the threats of criminal penalties, in a neutral manner. Did the federal government downplay early warnings? Did Canada’s federal government take too long before declaring a crisis and did it downplay suggestions that urged it to act sooner? A number of reports published and aired in ethnic media have addressed this matter reflecting on what they considered as a long time for Canada to respond to the crisis and how it handled the urge to close the borders. There seems to be a growing consensus, in particular among the Chinese community media, that Canada reacted slowly in its response to COVID-19. In particular the Chinese media in Canada have insisted that the pandemic was downplayed. Other reports point out to some form of disregard for the tips and warnings offered by health authorities. Others, including Italian and Polish ethnic media, have reflected on the COVID-19 experience in Europe and have drawn comparisons between Canada and European countries reactions to COVID-19. Much like the Chinese ethnic media, these examples were more assertive in urging Canada’s governments to take more radical steps. Reporting on messages from other government agencies: controversies Generally speaking, the coverage across ethnic media was more contentious when reporting on the messages from other government agencies. Central figures in Canada’s fight against COVID-19, such as Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s top doctor, have shouldered most of the burden and pressure given their prominent public roles during the pandemic. The public communications from the federal Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, and to an extent the Minister of Public Safety, Bill Blair (both sitting on the government’s special COVID-19 committee) have also received considerable media scrutiny. Comments made by Hajdu, in particular, when she suggested that Canadians “stockpile food and medicines in their homes” appears to have been controversial in ethnic media. Many outlets reported that Hajdu’s message lead to panic-induced buying sprees. “Chinese people in Metro Vancouver snap up grain,” wrote Chinese media Sing Tao Daily in its web edition following Hajdu’s advice to store food and medicine at home. It cited people saying they had no confidence in the market supply and the government’s ability to manage and control. A wide range of ethnic newspapers available for pick-up at B Trust supermarket in Toronto. Image Credit: Shan Qiao/NCM Stock Photo. In a similar fashion, the Russian web publication Knopka wrote that: “As panic over coronavirus heightens, Canadians and Americans stock up on goods at Costco” chronicled how consumers flocked stores as panic over the spread of the coronavirus intensified. The article further reported that the same thing was happening in California, claiming that over 500 people visited one Costco store in the first half-hour of its operation. However, it cautioned readers that according to Health Canada such a panic was unjustified, and there was no need to stock up on goods for weeks ahead. Hajdu later clarified that her advice was intended to be practical because people should always be ready for emergency situations. Minister Hajdu was also subject to criticism on another comment made before the House of Commons on March 12, 2020, when she said that between “30 and 70 per cent of Canadians could become infected with coronavirus.” In the wake of these comments, some ethnic media outlets reflected a deep concern with such predictions, some considered them “unexplained and doubtful” with little scientific basis. Others, by contrast, attempted to reassure their readers and calm the situation. “Panic will only help the pandemic to spread” wrote the Chinese Canadian Times. Another Chinese publication remarked that the federal Health Minister should not be making panic-stirring comments. The strongest praise and criticism observed in this analysis of ethnic media content was focused on Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer. Tam was scrutinized about contentious issues such as whether it is better that the public wear the masks, or not, as highlighted in the Italian Corriere Canadese with the headline: “Does it really help to use the masks? Yes, no, maybe.” These criticisms were brought forward after Tam earlier had claimed that masks were useless in protecting people shopping or walking in the streets. In this analysis, her role is seen as very important but controversial. Other areas that have stirred debate have been her hesitation to suggest closing borders, and her reliance on advice provided by the World Health Organization. At worst, some ethnic media outlets have insisted that she resign or be fired. COVID-19 as a political ballgame Besides being a human tragedy on an unseen scale, COVID-19 has become akin to a political ballgame between the government and opposition. Whereas in some countries the political bickering was left aside during crisis, this has not been the case in Canada. Whether Canada relied too much, too little or just about right on World Health Organization advice, this will be more a matter of further debate and emerging scientific evidence. The good news is that Canada’s coronavirus outbreak has slowed down and ethnic media most of the time have successfully accomplished their role of public information through these unprecedented times. This analysis has been created by New Canadian Media as a service to readers who wish to follow news and commentary in languages other than English and French, in partnership with MIREMS. Mirems monitors 600 outlets and 30 language groups daily, by far the most comprehensive read of multicultural media available in Canada. Link to original story: https://newcanadianmedia.ca/analysis-how-ethnic-media-is-covering-the-pandemic/
0 Comments
WEB - Urdu Times - Toronto, 09/05/2020 - NEWS, Urdu Image Source: Urdu Times website Summary Translation: No byline - Canada Post's main plant in Calgary has six confirmed cases of COVID-19. That news was confirmed by Dr. Deena Hinshaw. "I understand that there are six cases at that location," she said, before adding that the process was being followed to determine the identities of the cases, the timeframe of transmission and anyone else who's had close contact with that person, who would then be required to be home and undergo self-isolation for 14 days. Canada Post issued a statement Friday evening, where they said the cases occurred at separate times over a three-week period, starting April 20. "Some of the employees have not been in the building since early April," it said. "In the most recent case, the employee hadn't been in the building since May 5."
PRINT - Can India News - Mississauga, 08/05/2020 - Editorial, P.3, English Summary: Pradip Rodrigues - Last week Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and other cities in Ontario began granting for the first time all local mosques permission to broadcast the call to prayer called "the Azan" over speakers at sunset every day during Ramadan for a maximum of five minutes. Municipalities are mindful of the fact that Muslims are unable to get to their mosques as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown thought this was a good gesture. Mayor Bonnie Crombie managed to pass a unanimous resolution amending the city noise bylaw that will legalize the blaring of loudspeakers at all Mississauga mosques. Cities have suspended their Noise Control By-Law up to May 24 and by and large, most people are too preoccupied with their changed circumstances brought about by COVID-19 to bother with protesting the Muslim call for prayer, but in cities like Mississauga and Brampton, there has been a swift backlash in the form of fierce online protests and petitions not to grant mosques permission to broadcast the Azan for several reasons. They fear that this could become a permanent and symbolic thing. If it was possible to congregate, hundreds would be out protesting outside Mississauga’s City Hall. Mississauga resident Ram Subramaniam who is part of the Peel Region group Keep Religion Out Of Peel Region Schools (KROOPS), announced a plan to launch a constitutional challenge against the change of Mississauga’s noise laws and is receiving plenty of monetary support for this cause through a Facebook page that has a growing number of followers. “This is not about religion or being against Islam. This is about the separation of religion and state and preventing any group trying to throw their religion on others via loudspeakers that blare religious messages into the privacy of homes,” he said. In places like Mississauga, which is home to a large South Asian population, this controversy is the latest to divide people along religious lines.
RADIO - Red FM 106.7 Roshni - Calgary, 08/05/2020 - NEWS, Punjabi Summary Translation: Amanjot Singh Pannu - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said that small businesses are worried about various factors with regard to the economy resuming. According to the federation, Alberta's small businesses are troubled by how much their work structure will be impacted when they reopen their businesses. The biggest concern regards maintaining social distance in the workplace, with 56% of businesses rating this as their number-one concern, while 54% are concerned about understanding the new rules and 53% about providing services to customers in the workplace. CFIB Executive Vice President Laura Jones said that three-quarters of the businesses want to give up government help as soon as possible and begin their own sales. CFIB also said that all small businesses want to ensure everyone's protection from the coronavirus.
WEB - Philippine Canadian News - National, 08/05/2020 - EDITORIAL, English Summary: Ted Alcuitas - A community advocacy group is calling for ethnic data collection to fight the coronavirus. A University of British Columbia professor and a community advocacy group is calling for the collection of ethnic and racial data as part of a program to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. J.P. Catungal, a professor at UBC’s Social Justice Institute and RJ Aquino of Tulayan Filipino Diaspora Society claims lack of racial and ethnic data limits BC’s COVID-19 response. In a virtual press conference on April 30, Catungal and Aquino urged the B.C. government to collect data on race and ethnicity to determine whether some communities are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Filipino-Canadians are over-represented in essential industries such as health care, long-term care, and food service. “In terms of hospitalization, who is being admitted? Who is dying or recovering? Are there differences in terms of severity that are affected by race and ethnicity?” Catungal asks. Pre-existing conditions or access to care may be factors, he said, but health officials need to be informed by race- and ethnicity-based data. Health experts say governments need to commit to collecting this data because, otherwise, it’s difficult to glean a full picture of how minority communities are being impacted. Catungal cited New York and Louisiana as among U.S. jurisdictions that already collect data. Image Source: Philippine Canadian News website
WEB - Gazeta - Toronto, 09/05/2020 - NEWS, Polish Image Source: Gazeta website Summary Translation: The ActiveTO plan is under development in Toronto to help people move more while maintaining social distance. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) spokesperson Stuart Green said the transit service does not have immediate plans to increase service levels despite the expected increase in ridership. The transit agency has been operating service levels at between 70% and 80% of regular capacity throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, even as ridership plunged by at least 80% and about 1,200 employees had to be temporarily laid off. Earlier, it was reported that Toronto is beginning to reduce the restrictions that have kept residents at home for most of the past two months and that the TTC is preparing to increase passenger numbers. Ideas are being considered, such as ordering passengers to wear masks, modifying stations to allow distancing, and asking employers to hire employees for shifts so that some passengers use the TTC during off-peak hours.
PRINT - Hamdard Daily - Toronto, 07/05/2020 - NEWS, p. 1, Punjabi Image Source: Hamdard Daily website Summary Translation: At least ten taxi drivers who operate taxis from Pearson International Airport in Toronto have lost their lives due to coronavirus infection so far. The president of the Airport Taxi Association, which has 350 taxis and 700 member drivers, Rajinder Aujla, has expressed anguish at the tragedy saying no effective measures have been taken for the safety of drivers while we know people from all over the world have been landing at the airport.
PRINT - Filipino Post (Weekly) - Vancouver, 05/05/2020 - ARTICLE, 1/4 page, 1st Top, English Summary: From Canada and the U.S. to Europe and across Asia, the global coronavirus pandemic has brought with it an increase in racist attacks and microaggressions against people of Asian descent. In normally tolerant Canada, a recent survey in the nation’s biggest cities, said they do not believe it’s safe to sit next to an Asian or Chinese person on a bus if they’re not wearing a mask. Four percent of respondents said they think all Chinese or Asian people are carrying the COVID-19 virus, while 10 percent said they “were uncertain about that,” according to research from the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice. Susan Eng, the director of the CCNC-SJ, says with results like this, it’s not surprising we are seeing an increase in anti-Asian racism. “Canada’s leaders must stand up and unequivocally denounce every such racist incident and ill-informed belief, lest this behaviour is deemed acceptable and others are invited to do the same,” Eng said in a release. Vancouver Police Department said it had seen an uptick in the number of racially-motivated crimes, with almost half of cases in March reported as anti-Asian as the province marks Asian Heritage Month in British Columbia. Image Source: Filipino Post website
PRINT - Toronto Caribbean - Brampton, 04/05/2020 - Article, p.12, English Image Source: Toronto Caribbean website Summary: Janiece Campbell - Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) is a volunteer advocacy group for migrant workers. They help to bring awareness to the community and the exploitive conditions that the indentured labourers work under. For nearly 20 years, the group has been addressing the systematic inequalities that these workers face, some of which have heightened amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign workers are employed typically for up to 8 months through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) to assist with significant labour shortages. In recent weeks, a community in Leamington, ON shamed migrant workers online for their lack of applying social distancing standards. This prompted the Ontario Provincial Police to upload a YouTube video in an attempt to educate workers of their responsibility to socially distance in public. Failure to follow the rules will result in tickets or fines. On your next trip to the grocery store, before you pick up those crisp apples, remember the temporary migrant workers who are being used for a permanent labour demand.
WEB - Van People - Vancouver, 05/05/2020 - ARTICLE, Chinese Image Source: Van People website Summary Translation: Canadian Business Circle - Canadian-based company Irving Oil has said that it will accept more crude oil from western Canada starting this summer, and will transport it through the Panama Canal to the oil refinery in New Brunswick. Irving Oil, established in New Brunswick in 1924, is the largest refinery operator in Canada, and its refinery in Saint John, NB, is Canada ’s largest refinery, which can extract 320,000 barrels of oil per day. The Irving Oil refinery last month applied to the Canadian Transport Agency (CTA) for the use of foreign tankers to increase the transport of domestic crude oil from Newfoundland and Western Canada. Last Friday, company officials confirmed that the application has been approved by the regulatory authorities and are currently reviewing the details of the federal procedures. Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said on Friday that she was pleased that Irving Oil would start using more crude oil from Western Canada, but unfortunately Irving Oil was forced to use a complicated offshore route to transport crude oil. The proposed Energy East Pipeline will provide a safe and fast route. The Energy East Pipeline is a 4,500-kilometer oil pipeline that can deliver 1.1 million barrels of crude oil every day from Alberta and Saskatoon to the refineries in eastern Canada.
|