סיקור התקשורת בישראל את הגל הראשון של משבר הקורונה

This study analyzes how the Israeli media covered the first wave of the Corona virus crisis. We examined 213 reports on the early stages of the crisis by the leading newspapers and television channels. Also, the way the first lock down was covered in the media from March 15 to March 21, 2020. This analysis identified the media’s coverage to fall into these four main themes: Reports about the preparations made by the “Establishment”; Covering the illness; Criticism of the “Establishment”; and Information provisions. These findings indicate that the media viewed the crisis as a significant state of emergency and made pessimistic forecasts about the extent of the disease. The media often acted as a "recruited press," encouraging the public to adhere to guidelines. However,at the same time, there was a lack of criticism in the media of the conduct of individuals and certain sectors of the public which became evident in later stages of the crisis. This study highlights the phenomenon of "rallying around the flag," common in security crises, also occurred during the health crisis