Coronavirus may have spread from China, but given that it is now a worldwide problem, why are so many news outlets continuing to use photographs of Asian people to illustrate their reporting? Is this adding to the issues regarding xenophobia since the outbreak a few months ago?
This question is raised by Nylah Burton over on Vox who argues that the Covid-19 outbreak has led photo editors to a tendency to veer towards racist tropes when choosing images to accompany articles. As she explains, “the outbreak is not confined to — nor can be blamed on — Asian people.”
Various examples are cited, including one instance where a story about an outbreak in Manhattan was illustrated using a photograph of an Asian man wearing a face mask in Queens. Given that the outbreak has gone far beyond Asia and that xenophobia and racism have surfaced as a result of the virus’s origins, there’s a good argument that news outlets should take steps to avoid further stigmatization.
Twitter was quick to cite multiple examples:
Burton is not suggesting that editors and outlets are racist, but it raises the question: does the visual culture of news reporting contribute to xenophobia, and would a change in reporting help to create a sense of unity in fighting coronavirus rather than engendering a feeling of them and us? Leave your thoughts below.
54 Comments
Is there a way to down vote this shitty article?
The wet markets in Asia are where almost all these similar viruses come from, and to date, no Asian country is banning them. The woke need to go away with their false phobia crap.
I get the point. But be careful making too fast conclusions. Denmark is one of the countries in Europe having the highest raise in Corona registrations in the latest days. I walked a couple of hours in Copenhagen today (A nice sunny day after months of wet and grey weather), and guess what?!... I almost didn't see any masks at all. The typical Corona photo is someone (Asian) carying a mask. It's kind of the symbol of Corona. I saw three persons carying a mask on my walk, it was a an Asian family...
It's not new to see asian people carying a mask in Copenhagen. It was normal before Corona, and I guess it is normal by culture (air poluted big cities in Asia?).
Having said this, I also know there's lack of masks in Denmark because some people has been buying them. However those people is apparently not the people walking the streets to enjoy a sunny day...
Masks in Asia, well in Japan anyway, aren't only to safeguard against disease and pollution. They are also worn for the following reasons:
1) privacy;
2) in an image conscious society like Japan, wearing makeup is a given for women and some of them won't be caught outside without it. A mask relieves them of the worry about how their face looks;
3) lifestyle. Some people have just worn masks for so long, they actually feel uncomfortable without them;
4) in spring when there is hay fever, they are a godsend for many people;
5) it's a societal thing. Everyone does it.