Dataset Information

Panic buying: An insight from the content analysis of media reports during COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Panic buying is an emerging phenomenon observed during, but not restricted to, pandemic.

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the nature, extent, and impact of panic buying as reported in the media.

Methods

This study was conducted by collecting the information from the English media reports published till 22nd May 2020. A structured format was developed to collect data. Searching was done by using the keyword "panic buying". We have excluded the social media posts discussing the panic buying.

Results

The majority of media reporting was from the USA (40.7 %), and about 46 % of reports highlighted the scarce item. Approximately 82 % of the reports presented the causes of panic buying whereas almost 80 % report covered the impact of it. About 25.7 % of reports highlighted the rumor about panic buying and only 9.3 % of reports blamed the government. Only 27.1 % reports described the remedial measures, 30.8 % reports conferred the news on the psychology behind panic buying and 67.3 % news displayed the images of empty shelves.

Conclusion

A high proportion of reports on panic buying have been found from the developed countries discussing the causes & impact of panic buying on the basis of expert opinion.

SUBMITTER: Arafat SMY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7365627 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Panic buying: An insight from the content analysis of media reports during COVID-19 pandemic.

Arafat S M Yasir SMY Kar Sujita Kumar SK Menon Vikas V Kaliamoorthy Charanya C Mukherjee Srijeeta S Alradie-Mohamed Angi A Sharma Pawan P Marthoenis Marthoenis M Kabir Russell R

Neurology, psychiatry, and brain research 20200716

<h4>Background</h4>Panic buying is an emerging phenomenon observed during, but not restricted to, pandemic.<h4>Aim</h4>We aimed to evaluate the nature, extent, and impact of panic buying as reported in the media.<h4>Methods</h4>This study was conducted by collecting the information from the English media reports published till 22nd May 2020. A structured format was developed to collect data. Searching was done by using the keyword "panic buying". We have excluded the social media posts discussin ...[more]

PMID: 32834528

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Project description:Panic-buying and stockpiling during Covid disrupted the supply chain, causing food shortages and impacting the vulnerable. The government faced criticism for its lack of food system resilience, poor communications planning, and reliance on retailers. The British media frequently reported on panic-buying during early lockdown stages in 2020 and throughout Covid. The media play an important role in communicating information to the British public during times of crisis and influence public opinion. This mixed-method study examined English media portrayal of panic-buying, analysing text and visual data from six of the highest-circulating newspapers from March to July 2020. It reviewed reporting trends, use of imagery, themes, and prominent stakeholder voices. Content analysis of 209 articles showed that coverage was dominated by popular and left-wing press, with 89% of articles using sensationalised language and 68% coded as negative. In a subset of 125 articles, visual imagery showed empty shelves in 64% of analysed images, reinforcing the impression of food shortages. Supermarkets were the most quoted stakeholders, appearing in 62% of articles. Contradictions included reports of no food shortages alongside images of empty shelves and early newspaper advice encouraging stockpiling. Reporting peaked between March 16-22, 2020. Six key themes were identified: supermarket prominence, food supply/access, food policy, individual behaviour, socio-economic impacts, and panic-buying drivers-all themes had relevance to food system resilience. Future civil unrest linked to food-system challenges, potentially driven by climate change, conflict, or political instability, could see panic-buying play a significant role. Research on media portrayals of panic-buying can help policymakers enhance communication strategies and identify critical issues during crises. The Covid pandemic revealed crucial lessons about the media's potential role in shaping public behaviour, highlighting the need for stronger government communication and collaboration with both the media and retailers to ensure consistent messaging, particularly to protect vulnerable groups.

Dataset Information

Panic buying: An insight from the content analysis of media reports during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Aim

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Panic buying: An insight from the content analysis of media reports during COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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