Spikey blobs with evil grins: understanding portrayals of the coronavirus in South African newspaper cartoons in relation to the public communication of science

Abstract

This study explores how South African newspaper cartoonists portrayed the novel coronavirus during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We show how these cartoons respond to the socio-economic and cultural contexts in the country. Our analysis of how cartoonists represent the novel coronavirus explain how they create meaning (and may influence public sentiments) using colour, morphological characteristics and anthropomorphism as visual rhetorical tools. From a total population of 497 COVID-19-related cartoons published in 15 print and online newspapers from 1 January to 31 May 2020, almost a quarter (24%; n=120) included an illustration of the coronavirus. Viruses were typically coloured green or red and attributed with human characteristics (most often evil-looking facial expressions) and with exaggerated, spikey stalks surrounding the virus body. Anthropomorphism was present in more than half of the 120 cartoons where the virus was illustrated (58%; n=70), while fear was the dominant emotional tone of the cartoons. Based on our analysis, we argue that editorial cartoons provide a useful source to help us understand the broader discursive context within which public communication of science operates during a pandemic.

Steak and bleach as science communication heroes? The rise of post-corona, posthuman irony

“…There is also increased informality -the brevity and emerging lexicon of Twitter further facilitates the flattened expertise as a new form of word-of-mouth among these online entities and their human followers [Jansen et al, 2009]. Humour, satire and irony in meme culture is one of the results, as is also the case for science communication [Joubert and Wasserman, 2020;Riesch, 2015].…”

“…Social media was seen as the main misinformation threat [Ofcom, 2020]. However, humour and irony were, as always, important communication tools in this serious crisis to increase engagement [Joubert and Wasserman, 2020;Riesch, 2015]. It is how humans respond to important events and its use can blur the boundaries of taste, affect and accuracy.…”

“…In these converging, somewhat contradictory contexts, a challenging type of science communication emerges where private companies become 'informal informants' for COVID-19 as part of a new social media discourse combining elements of the critical science-policy interface [Colglazier, 2020]. While humour, satire and irony can be difficult to use for strategic communication -and they evade easy analysis -there is evidence that they also have their place as tools for science communication [Becker and Anderson, 2019;Brewer and McKnight, 2015;Joubert and Wasserman, 2020;Riesch, 2015].…”

The Effect of Anthropomorphic Appeal on Consumer Protective Behavior in Service Facilities

“…This sentence opens the story booklet issued by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia in 2020 to During this pandemic, both print and online media describe the Coronavirus in various forms. Cartoonists represent the uniqueness of the Coronavirus in visual rhetoric using color, morphological characteristics, and anthropomorphism (Joubert and Wasserman, 2020). Viruses are usually green or red and are associated with Human characteristics, most often a malevolent-looking facial expression and with an exaggerated spiny trunk.…”

“…Viruses are usually green or red and are associated with Human characteristics, most often a malevolent-looking facial expression and with an exaggerated spiny trunk. Of the 120 pictures of the Coronavirus, more than half are illustrated anthropomorphically, and the dominant emotion of the Coronavirus pictures is the emotion of fear (Joubert and Wasserman, 2020). Experts use anthropomorphic terminology for viruses and so do ordinary people interpret it anthropomorphically (Kutschera, 2020).…”