K Srikanth Reddy1,2, Salima S Mithani3, Lindsay Wilson3, Kumanan Wilson4,5,6. 1. Bruyere Research Institute, 85 Primrose Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1R 6M1, Canada. 2. WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translational and Health Technology Assessment for Health Equity, 85 Primrose Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1R 6M1, Canada. 3. Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 1053 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9, Canada. 4. Bruyere Research Institute, 85 Primrose Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1R 6M1, Canada. kwilson@ohri.ca. 5. Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 1053 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9, Canada. kwilson@ohri.ca. 6. Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada. kwilson@ohri.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The media play a critical role in informing the public about the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, international travel has been a highly contested subject at both the international and national levels. We examined Canadian media reporting on international travel restrictions during the pandemic, how these restrictions aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), and how the narrative around international travel evolved over time. METHODS: We analysed articles from Canada's top three national newspapers by circulation - The Globe and Mail, The National Post and The Toronto Star - published between Jan 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020. Our search yielded a total of 378 articles across the three newspapers. After removing duplicates and screening the remaining articles, we included a total of 62 articles for the analysis. We conducted a qualitative media content analysis by using an inductive coding approach. RESULTS: Three major themes were identified within the articles. These included: 1) The role of scientific and expert evidence in implementing travel restrictions; 2) Federal legislation, regulation and enforcement of international travel measures; and 3) Compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in travel restriction policy- and decision-making. The federal government relied primarily on scientific evidence for implementing international travel restrictions and fully exercised its powers under the Quarantine Act to enforce travel regulations and comply with the IHR 2005. The government embraced a rules-based international order by following WHO recommendations on international travel, contributing to a delay in border closure and travel restrictions until mid-March. CONCLUSION: The media focussed significantly on international travel-related issues during the early phase of the pandemic. The dominant media narrative surrounded the need for earlier travel restrictions against international travel.
BACKGROUND: The media play a critical role in informing the public about the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, international travel has been a highly contested subject at both the international and national levels. We examined Canadian media reporting on international travel restrictions during the pandemic, how these restrictions aligned with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), and how the narrative around international travel evolved over time. METHODS: We analysed articles from Canada's top three national newspapers by circulation - The Globe and Mail, The National Post and The Toronto Star - published between Jan 1, 2020 - May 31, 2020. Our search yielded a total of 378 articles across the three newspapers. After removing duplicates and screening the remaining articles, we included a total of 62 articles for the analysis. We conducted a qualitative media content analysis by using an inductive coding approach. RESULTS: Three major themes were identified within the articles. These included: 1) The role of scientific and expert evidence in implementing travel restrictions; 2) Federal legislation, regulation and enforcement of international travel measures; and 3) Compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in travel restriction policy- and decision-making. The federal government relied primarily on scientific evidence for implementing international travel restrictions and fully exercised its powers under the Quarantine Act to enforce travel regulations and comply with the IHR 2005. The government embraced a rules-based international order by following WHO recommendations on international travel, contributing to a delay in border closure and travel restrictions until mid-March. CONCLUSION: The media focussed significantly on international travel-related issues during the early phase of the pandemic. The dominant media narrative surrounded the need for earlier travel restrictions against international travel.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; Canada; IHR 2005; International travel; Travel restrictions
Authors: Shyanika W Rose; Catherine L Jo; Steven Binns; Melissa Buenger; Sherry Emery; Kurt M Ribisl Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2017-02-27 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Kumanan Wilson; Catherine Code; Christopher Dornan; Nadya Ahmad; Paul Hébert; Ian Graham Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2004-01-05 Impact factor: 3.295