“COVID-19 is a crisis in search of a narrative.” Those words, from Professor 莎拉·奥茨 of the University of Maryland Merrill College of Journalism, got me thinking.

她说的是记者在报道危机时要经历的几个阶段：

1) The 铺天盖地的新闻 where a giant news hole opens and media outlets have a much bigger audience

2) Journalists focus on correcting errors, gathering data and 把视角 to the situation

3) Finally, the stories become about memorializing the lives lost and take on a “resilience frame” (i.e. War on Terror after 9/11)

Professor Oates shared this explanation during a webinar for Merrill College alums entitled, “COVID-19 in the Age of Disinformation.” 她和她的两位同事认为，冠状病毒创造了一个混乱的环境，为虚假信息打开了大门。 They are watching how certain groups are spreading propaganda about NATO’s role and where the virus started.

As 金博体育 helps clients navigate the current situation, we’ve found it unlike any other in recent history. 当自然灾害或恐怖袭击发生时，悲剧发生了，我们匆忙地评估/理解它，然后我们才能开始恢复。 我认为奥茨教授概述的阶段适合飓风桑迪或9/11这样的事件。

另一方面，新冠肺炎是一场仍在酝酿中的危机。 One of our clients said, “There’s a big brick wall ahead of us and we are slowly skidding into it.” As we brace for impact, it’s important to listen to the narrative week to week and determine the right tone and voice for each organization. 全球大流行可能不会遵循从混乱到恢复的线性路径。

In fact, I don’t think the professors on the webinar were completely in alignment on which stage we are in with regard to coverage of the coronavirus. 在很多方面，我们似乎在这三个方面都有涉足。 Just as we have to accept that life won’t be “normal” for some time, we need to embrace an uncertain context for communicating with our audiences in the coming months. 在可预见的未来，COVID-19可能正在寻找一种说法。