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Anti-Vaxx Sentiments in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Natalie J. Hamburg
Mendocino College
Author Note
Natalie J Hamburg, Department of Sociology, Mendocino College Correspondence Concerning this Article Should be directed at Natalie Hamburg, Department of Sociology Mendocino College, 1000 Hensley Creek Rd. Ukiah, Ca. 95482.
Contact: natalie.hamburg@student.mendocino.edu
Anti-Vaxx Sentiments In The COVID-19 Pandemic
Key Themes on Coverage
Like many other controversial and widely covered topics there exists underlying themes of “race”, “socioeconomic class” within the anti-vax movement. The social rise of individuals outright refusing to receive vaccinations, as well as those only COVID-19 vaccines hesitant are all targeted by the media who are willing to convey false or misleading information to perpetuate fear and get a return viewer. With the lines becoming increasingly blurred between commentators and the idea they’re reporting on, it’s becoming easier to be convinced of an opinion because it speaks to your biases. Within the covid-19 Pandemic right and left-wing news sources have become increasingly more polarized and the victim has disproportionately been minority groups.
Differing Arguments
The arguments perpetuated by the right-wing in favor of the anti-vax movement, all circle around personal freedoms and liberties being attacked in the COVID-19 pandemic. The very real issues such as the virus, and the global economy as a result, as well as the lives of billions of people, are cast as sensationalized and politicized problems (Altheide). News sources largely manipulate the lens through which their viewers see the world, narrowing it and tailoring to see fear and corruption where science and research lie. The social life of most Americans was significantly altered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with all the unknown outcomes, news stations profited off of the ability to homogenize their messages. The public demands more information and more resolutions the more chaotic a country grows, but also demanding to have their attention held all the while. This gap is bridged by the entertainment format which dilutes the Problem Frame and presents it in a trolly of commercialized and profitable way (Altheide).
Political reports and articles were already extremely polarized thanks to the 2020 election, and the pandemic only enhanced the chasm between the belief systems of the left and right. Opposite but equal to the right-wing media, leftists, and democrats become increasingly more manic and critical of Republicans, dehumanizing them in the same way they often dehumanize minority groups. The similarities in both the argument of the right and left circle around claims of brainwashing and manipulation. Despite the most real-life experience, and general statistics on safety and science disputing controversial and fake ideas there continues to be growing support for anti-covid, anti-mask, and anti-vax news and ideologies.
Shaping Messages
One way the conservative media shapes anti-vax sentiment is by perpetuating the idea that if you’re healthy and relatively young you have no use for this shot. Social control and personal liberties do not go hand in hand as the conservative viewpoint would have you believe. So by right-wing media portraying vaccination as a form of social control, they confirm many individuals’ decision to not receive it. Additionally, the very act of wearing or not wearing a mask has become politicized. The pandemic was largely portrayed as blown out of proportion and irrelevant to the American economy and our way of life. So it wasn’t a difficult leap to largely say the efforts to develop a vaccine are unnecessary and a product of a mismanaged, overly liberal government. Right-winged media has also relied heavily on the testimonies of anti-vaxxers and other members of the community that were more afraid of the overt lies being told about side effects than the virus itself (Kirby). The liberal news source formed an argument of social obligation, and support of science and the amazing strides we’ve made to protect our country and those who fall into anti-vax categories are committing acts of terrorism (O’Leary). The lack of a clear and definitive answer to our pandemic does pose a particularly challenging problem in shaping our response to it. The media is able to profit off of this great unknown and tailor their own narrative to the audience at hand.
Totality of Subject
The most reasonable, trustable, and unbiased source of information portrayed the pandemic as aggravating many of the socioeconomic inequalities and vulnerabilities in American society. The aggravation of those already unstable institutions and communities made it much easier for misinformation and fear to spread. Asking individuals to rely on structures that have historically forgotten or disregarded them is not easy. While anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists are perhaps the most damaging to pro-science movements, it’s incredibly difficult to engage with them, and more likely that initiating a conversation with vaccine-hesitant people is more likely to insight change. It encourages a separation of anti-vaxxers from the rest of society as a religious sect rather than an outcast group that feels further marginalized by the American government and media (Mylan).
Fear-mongering done by the news anchors on Fox News is considerably controversial and ultimately will only serve in solidifying and homogenizing the following base of the news outlet (Kirby). Additionally, left-wing sources will only find it counterproductive to attack the anti-vax movement. The small window at both ends of the news spectrum provides us with and doesn’t provide a full spectrum look at all of the issues that encompass anti-vax sentiment (Mylan). Neither group discusses the horrors the medical community has historically inflicted on men and women of color or people in poverty. The Tuskegee studies and forced hysterectomies are significant sources of mistrust people can draw upon when justifying their wariness towards the medical and scientific community. Our media asks a notoriously heterogeneous population to conform without engaging with those non-conformers in meaningful ways.
Does Format Matter?
The portrayal of Covid speaks to a very specific format, TV news delivers a pre-made “news package” for the consumption of their fanbase. Even if it’s a reiteration of a popular opinion or an alternative perspective on a hot topic the communication format of the news is meant to be familiar, comfortable, and reaffirming of our beliefs (Altheide). The images, music, guests, and language of a newscaster or reporter are tailored to the fan base, someone who only watched ABC would get quite the culture shock when they turned to FOX or MSNBC and vice versa. Factual information can still be loaded with persuasive and inflammatory language and that ultimately changes the context and perception of the information itself. The constant shift and growth of the information we receive ultimately changes once a full picture is assembled.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I find the demonization of American citizens choosing to receive or not receive a vaccination counterproductive to vaccination efforts themselves. Ultimately, it’s important to be aware of persuasive and suggestive language and to not fall into confirmation bias traps. The heterogeneity of America makes it increasingly more demanding to form a consensus and makes it both dangerous and difficult to communicate alternative perspectives. As a pro-science individual, it’s an important reminder to withhold harsh and instantaneous judgment on those with vaccine-hesitancy, as well as remembering to disengage with those already entrapped in conspiracy theories. I don’t believe demonizing the media is a solution, the multifaceted nature of the news can be a source of empowerment for people who are naturally suspicious and trained in the art of spotting fake news. However, those still riddled with naivety and manipulated by misinformation can only be communicated through compassionate channels of communication.
References
Altheide, D. (1997). “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”. The Sociological Quarterly, 38(4), 647-668. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4121084
Kirby, B. (2021, March 19). Experts say the COVID-19 vaccine is safe – but not everyone in mobile is onboard. Fox News.
https://www.fox10tv.com/news/coronavirus/experts-say-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-safe-but-not-everyone-in-mobile-is-onboard/article_30e60fa6-8903-11eb-9e49-7fcf40a16c85.html
Mylan, S., & Hardman, C. (2021, March 27). COVID-19, cults, and the anti-vax movement. The Lancet. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00443-8/fulltext
O’Leary, N. (2021, March 25). Anti-vax email ‘deluge’ hits European Parliament. The Irish Times.https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/anti-vax-email-deluge-hits-european-parliament-1.4519954
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