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Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis. During this period, media coverage of healthcare workers was quite essential in shaping public perceptions.

Notably, both male and female healthcare workers have been the subjects of numerous news reports. However, my literature review focuses on a gap in specific analyses of how female healthcare staff have been represented in these news reports, especially in official news media like People's Daily in China.

Unlike other social media or common news media, People's Daily acts as an official point of the state, which offers a unique angle for analyzing media representation (Wang, Sparks, & Huang, 2018).

My literature review also highlights existing gender biases and inequalities in the healthcare industry, which further underscores the importance of this study.

Methodology

The methodology for this research is Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which allows for a detailed examination of text and context in media reports (Wodak & Busch, 2004). This study selects news reports in 2020 from January to December. Using keywords related to COVID-19 and female healthcare roles like 'female nurse' or 'female doctor.' Out of approximately 70 reports identified through the Factiva database, 20 were chosen for in-depth analysis.

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Preliminary Findings

A key report titled "Jilin hospital sends 'Red Detachment of Women' to assist epicenter Wuhan" (2020) has been analyzed as an example.

The title employs the metaphor of the 'Red Detachment of Women', a cultural symbol of heroism specifically linked to women. This report analysis focuses on three dimensions:

Text Analysis: Examines how metaphors and historical references shape perceptions of female healthcare workers, emphasizing their roles as exceptional rather than regular occurrences.

Discursive Practice: Investigates the construction of narratives and their interaction with broader discursive practices, particularly how the editorial slant of People's Daily may color the portrayal of female staff.

Socio-Cultural Analysis: Considers how reports align with and propagate existing societal attitudes and structures. For example, one paragraph in this report describes a female staff fighting at the frontline, while her husband cares for their child at home, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

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This study highlights that subtle gender biases are embedded in news media representations, particularly in crisis contexts like a pandemic.

The findings underscore the necessity for media, especially official outlets like People's Daily, to pursue a more balanced approach to gender portrayal.

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Wang, H., Sparks, C., & Huang, Y. (2018). Measuring differences in the Chinese press: A study of People’s Daily and Southern Metropolitan Daily. Global Media and China, 3(3), 125-140.

Wodak, R., & Busch, B. (2004). Approaches to media texts. The Sage handbook of media studies, 105-123.