Entertainment and pandemic: a semiotic remediation discourse analysis on selected pop culture and consumption in South Africa

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the crucial role of mass media in disseminating information about potential dangers, often through sensationalised framing. The tremendous additions and growth of communication channels are apparent in our society, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in South Africa. Mass media plays a key role in the dissemination (communication) of potential danger, framing it in a sensationalised way (Joffe, 2003), which has been observed globally during the pandemic. The development and growth of media have brought about so many contributions and positivity to society in a multifarious way. The existence of traditional and modern communication media has made it possible to create platforms that produce, disseminate, and circulate information about any pandemic like COVID-19. A review of media studies literature shows that the media is a platform through which communication messages are created and shared with different audiences. While this literature is applicable, there have been several changes in the media during the national pandemic. With the advent and development of modern communication media, media's role in society has been redefined, reshaped, and reinvigorated due to the multiple capabilities attached to modern media, unlike traditional media.