Social media has the capacity to inform, educate, entertain and confuse citizens simultaneously because of its deep imbeddedness within communities. This is because social media is readily available to most community members and news production is done surpassing and bypassing filters that humper and debilitate quick production and dissemination of news by mainstream media such as the traditional gate keeping parameters like political correctness and editorial policies. However, social media is regarded with scepticism in some quarters of the news production industry due to its disregard for ethical practice as well as disrespect for sensibilities related to tradition and culture that separate humans from the larger and general animal world. This study therefore sought to investigate the virtues of social media that have elevated the speed and limitless opportunities for Covd 19 news sharing in Lesotho with specific reference to Hoatiti news outlet. The study interviewed news consumers, practising journalists, journalism students and lecturers to establish their views on Hoatiti news coverage of the Covid 19 pandemic. The findings were presented and analysed thematically. Tawanda Mukurunge | Tawanda Wallace Mataka | Takura Bhila "Investigating Social Media Role in Crisis Communication: Case of Hoatiti News Reporting of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Lesotho" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd46315.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/journalism/46315/investigating-social-media-role-in-crisis-communication-case-of-hoatiti-news-reporting-of-the-covid19-pandemic-in-lesotho/tawanda-mukurunge
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)
Volume 5 Issue 5, July-August 2021 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470
@ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD46315 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 5 | Jul-Aug 2021
Page 2257
Investigating Social Media Role in Crisis Communication: Case
of Hoatiti News Reporting of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Lesotho
Tawanda Mukurunge
1
, Tawanda Wallace Mataka
2
, Takura Bhila
3
1Lecturer of Digital Media, Journalism and Education, Lesotho
2Lecturer of Language Development in English Second Language Learners,
Research in Education, Social Justice and Literacy Development, Lesotho
3Lecturer of Educational Technology in Higher Tertiary Education, Lesotho
ABSTRACT
Social media has the capacity to inform, educate, entertain and
confuse citizens simultaneously because of its deep imbeddedness
within communities. This is because social media is readily available
to most community members and news production is done surpassing
and bypassing filters that humper and debilitate quick production and
dissemination of news by mainstream media such as the traditional
gate keeping parameters like political correctness and editorial
policies. However, social media is regarded with scepticism in some
quarters of the news production industry due to its disregard for
ethical practice as well as disrespect for sensibilities related to
tradition and culture that separate humans from the larger and general
animal world. This study therefore sought to investigate the virtues of
social media that have elevated the speed and limitless opportunities
for Covd-19 news sharing in Lesotho with specific reference to
Hoatiti news outlet. The study interviewed news consumers,
practising journalists, journalism students and lecturers to establish
their views on Hoatiti news coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. The
findings were presented and analysed thematically.
KEYWORDS: social media, mainstream media, disinformation,
misinformation, Hoa