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Why the coronavirus is newsworthy

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been a hot topic in the headlines recently, and for good reason. 

Back in December 2019, the media first broke the news of the disease, which sprung up in China. Overtime, journalists continued to cover the coronavirus; reporting on how what appeared to have been an isolated incident became a worldwide pandemic. The virus is now present in countries across the globe and all 50 U.S. states have confirmed cases. Overall USA Today says there have been at least 222,000 confirmed cases worldwide (as of March 19, 2020), and that number continues growing.

Despite an alarming amount of cases, some argue that the media has blown the whole pandemic out of proportion. Some social media users have taken to Facebook to express their disproval of the news media. I have heard people comparing the coronavirus to the flu, which is obviously more common and has affected more people. While the flu may be more common, this viral outbreak is screams “newsworthy” and here is why; it all comes down to timeliness, impact, proximity, conflict, usualness and prominence. 

COVID-19 is a timely topic. Journalists are working around the clock to update stats on affected countries, states, counties and cities. Its urgent that the public remain up to date to avoid people from contracting the deadly disease. 

This has a direct impact on news consumers. You may not have the coronavirus, but you are still affected. Cities have begun shutting down and practicing social distancing. COVID-19 coverage relates to everyone. 

The proximity for the virus continues to narrow in on Americans, as the disease slowly and slowly gets closer to them. Counties may report only one case, which could double or triple the next day. 

The coronavirus has caused much conflict. One, people are dying. Secondly, grocery stores across the U.S. are running out of necessities such as soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and more. This has caused some senior citizens, those who are most affected, to have a hard time finding goods. 

This is all very unusual. A disease that has swarmed the globe is not a story reporters cover every day. COVID-19 is out of the ordinary and should be covered. 

Lastly, this viral outbreak and caused people of great prominence to speak up. President Trump declared a national state of emergency, and other state and city officials have followed suit. Celebrities, such as Gal Godot and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have been posting about self-quarantine online. Tom Hanks and his wife actually have COVID-19 and are recovering in Australia. 

Despite what some people are saying online, the coronavirus is newsworthy and should be covered to its fullest extent to keep the public informed.

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