Coronavirus and Covid-19 information in the main Spanish TV channels before the confinement period

Abstract

The evolution of content on the coronavirus epidemic in the 24 hours of free-to-air Spanish television is analyzed in the months before the declaration of a state of alarm, when China and Italy were the countries with the greatest number of infections. We observed the presence of terms related to the pandemic, identifying the kind of information transmitted since the coronavirus disease began, in all broadcasts from La 1, Antena 3, Tele 5, and La sexta channels. The data were taken on alternate days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), with a total review of 31 days, ranging from 1 January to 13 March 2020, when confinement began throughout Spain. This information was compared with the results of general searches and news searches made by Spanish users, to check whether the data were different or ran in parallel with the television data. The conversation about the coronavirus on television clearly changed during the week when confinement was introduced in some areas of Italy. This indicates that the consequences of the pandemic were not anticipated until its effects were already visible. The results also indicate that there was hardly any significant variation in the focus of the programs broadcast by each of the channels.