Title

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MULTIMODAL PROSPECTS OF MEDIA

STATS DURING ‘SWINE FLU’ & ‘COVID-19’

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to recognize that how media modalities have taken a turn in the

times of Pandemics i.e. Swine flu and Covid-19. Times of Swine Flu has mostly been shared

through print media and newspapers while Covid-19 appears in the time of electronic media.

The research aims to study the Hexa-dimensional model of Pauwels s interpretation of the

websites with reference with Worldometer; thus applying the hyper text elements to represent

how a messages should be conveyed for being interpreted as Neutral, avoiding exaggeration

of information.

INTRODUCTION

The history of human communication has developed in stages, or in the face of the

fundamental changes that have gradually occurred during these periods, the way of

interaction between people and the way of information dissemination in the revolution have

been developed. Industrial revolution sowed the seeds of the invention of press media and

manual publishing. In our age, the use of communication technology and the emergence of

radio, television and the Internet have gradually wrapped the earth in the "World Wide Web",

which has pushed the entire planet to the infamous “McLuhan Global Village”. In modern

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culture, all these media still play an active role in influencing the various ideologies of

mainstream groups.

The Press is an instance of a procedure discovered in all discourse, the dependent mediation

of the world […]. What is specific approximately newspapers is they hire textual strategies

which foreground the speech act of presenting values and beliefs. (Fowler 2007:120/207)1

The press may not always tell people what to think effectively, but it is surprisingly effective

at telling readers what to think. (McCombs and Shaw 1972:176)2

The choice of reported events and their relevance do not always reflect their true meaning.

Rather, they are the result of selection based on many artificial interpretation principles often

called "information value", which are selected from a series of socially constructed

categories. (Hall 1981:335)

Media influence and its complex dynamics during “Swine Flu”

The UK’s best-selling newspaper, The Sun (2009-2010), has 80 articles about the H1N1

virus. The H1N1 virus first appeared in Mexico in March 2009. The H1N1 flu virus most

likely originated in pigs in Asia (also known as "swine flu") and then spread to North

America through humans. Symptoms are similar to regular seasonal flu. Only laboratory tests

can confirm infection.

1
Fowler, R. [1991] 2007. Language in the News - Discourse and Ideology in the Press, London,
Routledge.
2
M.E McCombs, D.L Shaw, The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media, in «Public Opinion
Quarterly», 36 (Summer), 1972 pp. 176-187. B. Cohen, The Press and Foreign Policy. Princeton, NJ,
Princeton University Press, 196, p. 13.

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“Swine flu kept the world in suspense for almost a year. A massive vaccination campaign

was mounted to put a stop to the anticipated pandemic. But, as it turned out, it was a

relatively harmless strain of the flu virus”.3

However, as time passed, The Sun itself, was finally forced to admit that, after all,

unnecessary panic was spread:

“A TOP scientist last night dismissed fears over swine influenza - claiming its death rate may

even be under normal flu.” (05 Dec 09).

“EIGHTY per cent of individuals diagnosed by center staff as having swine flu DIDN’T have

the bug[...]Just one in five people diagnosed by the controversial swine influenza call centers

had the illness, said scientists” (9 Dec 09).

“The number of flu deaths is dramatically below expected.[…] fewer than 5,000 caught the

bug last week, and just 251 have died from it overall” (11 Jan 2010).4

3
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/reconstruction-of-a-mass-hysteria-the-swine-flu-panic-
of-2009-a-682613.html
4
https://www.thesun.co.uk/

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The popular British media played a very active role in creating and developing the

intimidation of pigs (and, conversely, in "legalization measures"). The media believe that the

purpose of information exchange to convey non-personal facts and data is only a partial

representation of public ideology.

It emphasizes how tabloids build public credibility, and explains how many misinformation

and false alarms in the press can be extremely dangerous. This is an issue that requires

accountability and is obvious to tabloid editors.

What modern Multimodality is?

Kress has made great contributions to the study of multimodality. He pointed out that

although multimodality is often used as a theory, it is not a theory.5 When more "modes" are

understood as communication methods, instead of using both written and oral methods to

communicate and understand better; multi-modality should not be confused with old

5
KRESS, G. (2009) What is Mode? In Jewitt, C., ed. Handbook of Multimodal

Analysis. Routledge, London, p 54.

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multimedia concepts. Its importance is much less, because it mainly involves the function of

technical equipment or technology (rather than communication or the perceptual processing

of human data).

Modes are consequently semiotic assets of various types that variety from mere language to

static images, videos, music, icons and so on: they may be able to supplying meanings that

aren't always the identical for everyone; every aid comes from a tradition and every tradition

translates the mode in step with its personal habits. Modes can consequently deliver

exceptional messages in step with whether or not they paintings in my opinion or in reference

to every other; approximately this O’Halloran states: "Whether the textual content is examine

after viewing the photo or the photo is regarded after studying the textual content, the

meanings which may be crafted from every, each in my opinion and together, are exceptional

from the meanings which can be made via way of means of every aid in isolation."6

In addition, the writing mode has a certain value for individual analysis or in combination

with other modes, for example. When talking about different spellings, Kress said: “For

example, writing has syntactic, grammatical and vocabulary resources, graphic resources

(such as fonts, font size), and resources for composition (such as punctuation). From other

resources, such as B, a color resource. Language and writing share all aspects of grammar,

grammar, and vocabulary. In addition, speech has strength (volume), pitch and pitch change

(intonation), sound/voice quality, and length. Images have resources, such as frames the

position, size, color, shape and different types of icons in the elements. Types-lines, circles-

and resources such as spatial relations, and in the case of moving images, the time series of

images, movement. ”7

6
O’Halloran, K, Tan, Sabine & Wignell. (2016) Intersemiotic Translation as Resemiotisation: A
Multimodal Perspective.
7
KRESS, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication.
Routledge, London, p.79.

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Hofstede and Multimodality

Hofstede’s famous cultural framework is the only one that has proved to be the maximum

appropriate for "culturally aware" and "effective" internet conversation at some stage in the

time. Known because the Five Dimensions Model, it become advanced at the start of the

Seventies and commenced to behavior its studies on the idea of 116000 questionnaires

allotted in 50 countries. Over the years the studies has been enriched and elevated and these

days we've records to be had approximately 100 countries.8

According to the model there are five essential dilemmas that humans should face, which

have been in the beginning used to become aware of and give an explanation for variations in

behavior among contributors of various nationalities:

1. Distance to power.

2. Individualism vs. collectivism.

3. Long-time period vs. short-time period orientation.

4. Uncertainty Warning.

5. Indulgence vs. control

Multimodal Perspective of Websites’ Interpretations

Multimodal studies is a bold undertaking, in view that even maximum kinds of multimodal

studies of mono-modal or single-mode evaluation (e.g. evaluation of static photographs) are

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The analysis and comparison of websites, before the multimodal model was discovered and
applied, was carried out through a sociological and psychological analysis of the distinctive
parameters of different societies and ways of reasoning that served as a context. This was done on
the basis of a classification limited to only five parameters, within which societies (website creators)
with common psycho-social characteristics were included, but without taking into account the level
of individual analysis.

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nonetheless underdeveloped, i.e. now no longer capable of absolutely make the most the

expressive ability of this medium. Few alternatives and alternatives in web sites and the

wider infrastructure of the net are culturally neutral. Cultural studies of the net, therefore, will

be centered on uncovering express and implicit statements on a huge variety of problems

along with values, norms and evaluations concerning gender, class, race, religion, state, etc.

as they're deliberately or by chance expressed and materialized in the many functions of this

notably hybrid medium.9

 The synchronic and diachronic approach

Like any other type of media research, cultural website analysis can use the snapshot method

(focusing on the static part of the dynamic environment at a given point in time). Or choose a

diachronic method in the form of a longitudinal study, which consists of multiple images at a

specific time interval, or a more dynamic diachronic method that focuses on studying changes

(actions and responses) over time (key transitions, events, and final goals) Instead of

providing analysis based on common cultural markers (so that it does not answer questions

such as "what to do?" or "which is better?"), it provides more or more meaningful description

and evaluation analysis (in order to Answer questions such as "What is what?") "Have you

found the answer? What can this element tell us about cultural issues?"

 Pauwels Model or The six-phase model

Pauwels (2011) provides us with a model for analyzing websites as a source of sociocultural

data. The model includes six stages corresponding to the specific logic of discovery: from

9
PAUWELS, L. (2005) Websites as Visual and Multimodal Cultural Expressions: Opportunities and
Issues of Online Hybrid Media Research, Media, Culture & Society.

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observing obvious features to taking simple actions. Turning to a more detailed explanation

of hypertext elements and their complex interrelationships, the exploration of object shape

data (which can be easily quantified and encoded) is transferred to a more explanatory

analysis, which focuses on discovering the metaphorical and symbolic dimensions of the

website or reveal its intent, or even (mainly) involuntary meaning.10

Each of these stages of website evaluation can be in short explored, with examples in their

ability to specific cultural aspects.

1. Preservation of first impressions and reactions

2. Inventory of salient features and topics

3. In-depth analysis of content and stylistic features

4. Embedded point(s) of view or ''voice'' and implied audience(s) and purposes

5. Analysis of dynamic information organization and spatial priming strategies

6. Contextual analysis, provenance and inference

‘Worldometer’ complex and influential dynamics during “COVID-19”

Worldometer is led by an international team of developers, researchers and volunteers, and

aims to bring global statistical information to readers around the world in a thought-

provoking and timely format. It is published by a small independent British digital media

company in the United States. They have no political, state or corporate affiliation. In

addition, they do not have any investors, donors, grants or sponsors. Worldometer is a

completely independent company and provide funding through automated programmatic

advertising, which can be sold in real time on multiple advertising exchange platforms.11

10
Pauwels, P., & Matthyssens, P. (1999). A strategy process perspective on export
withdrawal. Journal of International Marketing, 7(3), 10-37.
11
https://www.worldometers.info/about/

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Over the years, Worldometer, which generates advertising revenue, has grown exponentially,

covering multiple topics such as world population, government, economy, society, media,

environment, nutrition, water, energy and health. However, in recent months, governments

around the world, including the British government, have quoted his figures in official press

conferences. The British government regularly uses Worldometer’s data in its daily press

conferences to compare COVID- worldwide. Due to this openness, the search engine ranking

of the site has been significantly improved.

According to the stages of the multimodal interpretation framework provided by Pauwels

(2011) on the "look and feel" in the multimodal interpretation framework, our first

impression of the homepage of the website is a "fast website". A simple design may be well

thought out, because as a statistical site, numbers can be used as a "great calculator" that can

be accessed on a global scale, and it is the main information transmitter created by the site

creator. Start the transfer. The digital stream is also the only "dynamic" part of the website.

The layout is also static in the overview.

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At the beginning of the pandemic, developers discovered that the website had begun to

spread due to its constant updates and manual counting, and added its section dedicated to

coronavirus to Worldometer repeatedly. In some cases, pandemic fear has made people

addicted to repeated statistical reviews. In the field of Covid-19, developers call themselves a

``trusted authority''.

Worldometer is recognized as one of the best free reference sites by the American Library

Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world. It is the global

COVID-19 statistics of many British governments, Johns Hopkins CSSE, Thai government,

Pakistani government, Sri Lankan government, Vietnamese government, Financial Times,

New York Times, Business Insider, BBC, etc.

This is the part of the website most frequently visited by users from all over the world. Here

you will find a list of all countries in the world that have been affected by the Covid-19

pandemic at least once. Standard list of countries/regions with the largest number of cases.

There are fewer cases where options are rearranged according to other preference criteria. At

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the top of the page is a summary and information about what we will see later, as well as

external links to other sources. As mentioned above, blue is most often used by platforms to

link to external links; in addition to the top of the page, we found it again to highlight the

name of the country/region affected by the virus. Initially they were black, and then during

the pandemic, the developers provided unique statistics for each country. By clicking on it,

you can access coronavirus data for each country.

As they proceed, the builders offer extra distinct facts approximately the Virus, with outside

hyperlinks to the specific particular sections additionally highlighted in blue. The font stays

impartial and constant with the overall layout, leaving the person the opportunity to

consciousness most effective on facts.

The Coronavirus section ends with a whole listing of all of the sources from which the

builders have long gone to attract and, being hyperlinks, are highlighted in blue. The builders

in the course of the path of the paintings have completed the whole lot viable to make sure all

customers a severe and actual consultation, freeing for every declaration the supply from

which it's far taken.

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Worldometer has proved to be a beneficial and authentic painting that has observed all of the

world’s populace in the course of an emergency scenario wherein direct, obvious and stable

sources of facts are the uncooked cloth for everyone.

CONCLUSION

This work focuses on the importance of the cultural background of the website and attempts

to provide important multi-modal explanations for internal structures that are often

overlooked but certainly not worthless. Due to the development of research in multi-mode

and its application fields, it has become possible to get rid of the standardized framework

over time. From some perspectives, the standardized framework limits researchers and forces

them to engage in unclear and frequent research.

"The usefulness of this analysis of the most visited websites is especially in emergencies such

as swine flu or the Covid-19 pandemic. When different cultures interact with platforms to

obtain information from them, try to convey information transparency. This is not an easy

task to complete, you need to be extra careful.

A detailed analysis of hypertext elements shows that despite doubts and criticisms, the

developers of "Worldometer" and "Sun Magazine" are close to completing a project that

seems simple but it’s a very simple job of the same kind. It contains really rich content,

which is presented in a “neutral” way and is easy to explain by any user.

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References

FOWLER, R. [1991] 2007. Language in the News - Discourse and Ideology in the Press,
London, Routledge.

KRESS, G. (2009) What is Mode? In Jewitt, C., ed. Handbook of Multimodal Analysis.
Routledge, London, p 54.
KRESS, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary
communication. Routledge, London, p.79.
M.E MCCOMBS, D.L SHAW, The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media, in «Public
Opinion Quarterly», 36 (Summer), 1972 pp. 176-187. B. Cohen, The Press and Foreign
Policy. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 196, p. 13.

O’HALLORAN, K, TAN, SABINE & WIGNELL. (2016) Intersemiotic Translation as

Resemiotisation: A Multimodal Perspective.

PAUWELS, P., & MATTHYSSENS, P. (1999). A strategy process perspective on export

withdrawal. Journal of International Marketing, 7(3), 10-37.

PAUWELS, L. (2005) Websites as Visual and Multimodal Cultural Expressions:

Opportunities and Issues of Online Hybrid Media Research, Media, Culture & Society.

Web Sources:

For swine Flue- media modalities

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/reconstruction-of-a-mass-hysteria-the-swine-flu-panic-

of-2009-a-682613.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/

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For worldometer website

https://www.worldometers.info/about/

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