When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Geopolitics

COVID-19 And The Casualties Of War Rhetoric

Armed and ready?
Armed and ready?
Anne-Sophie Goninet

Are we "at war" with COVID-19? That's what we might believe from a quick tour of the planet's most powerful leaders, from the presidents of the United States and France to the director general of the World Health Organization to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who declared that we are in the middle of "a war to save humanity."

Germany's Head of State, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier countered the bellicose rhetoric, saying this crisis wasn't a war to save humanity, but "a test of our humanity." A subtle but powerful distinction.

Still, looking around, there is something to wartime references: we are mobilizing massive human and economic forces, rationing key supplies, fighting a common enemy (the virus), all which requires heroes, sacrifice and a collective spirit.

It's also true that when you're in a war, rules change. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban used the crisis to introduce new measures to virtually rule by decree without any time limit. Other countries such as Israel, South Korea and Singapore have launched tracking smartphone apps that will collect users' location data, for now with the purpose of containing the spread of the virus. But later? Will some governments utilize the new capabilities to further infringe on personal liberties?

Indeed, timing is everything. A war usually ends with the signature of an armistice. But there is no certain way to know when we will consider that the crisis is over. Neurology resident Adina Wise writes in Scientific American magazine: "If we are ‘at war" for an undetermined amount of time, battle fatigue may derail all efforts. Leaders would do better to promote civil responsibility and global solidarity instead of the idea of warfare. Finding a solution to the pandemic is a shared responsibility, and the solution must be global."

That solution, ultimately, is finding an efficient treatment, a vaccine or a drug to cure the virus. The number one priority is not some kind of victory "in a show of political force", as "in a health crisis, there is no balance of power with the virus', says French historian Bénédicte Chéron in Le Monde. We don't need violent strategies and soldiers, we need research and scientists.

Yes, the language we use to describe the crisis matters. An analysis of media coverage of the pandemic from a team from the University of Reading in the UK revealed that American and British journalists rely much more on the war rhetoric than their German counterparts, who tend to use a more scientific vocabulary. According to Dr Sylvia Jaworska, Associate Professor in Applied Linguistics, this scientific approach may reflect the country's quick and efficient response to the virus, as Germany has registered fewer deaths than other European countries, despite being the most populated in the EU.

"The reality is that the coronavirus doesn't distinguish between ‘friends' and ‘enemies' and no matter our physical strength or character they will not be enough to slow the death rate on their own," Jaworska writes. "Clear communication, along with effective testing and treatment options, will be what wins the fight against COVID-19." A fight? That sounds more like it.


For the coming weeks, Worldcrunch will be delivering daily updates on the coronavirus pandemic from the best, most trusted international news sources — regardless of language or geography. To receive the daily Coronavirus global brief in your inbox, sign up here.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

eyes on the U.S.

Murdoch's Resignation Adds To Biden Good Luck With The Media — A Repeat Of FDR?

Robert Murdoch's resignation from Fox News Corp. so soon before the next U.S. presidential elections begs the question of how directly media coverage has impacted Joe Biden as a figure, and what this new shift in power will mean for the current President.

Close up photograph of a opy of The Independent features Rupert Murdoch striking a pensive countenance as his 'News of the World' tabloid newspaper announced its last edition will run

July 7, 2011 - London, England: A copy of The Independent features Rupert Murdoch striking a pensive countenance as his 'News of the World' tabloid newspaper announced its last edition will run July 11, 2011 amid a torrid scandal involving phone hacking.

Mark Makela/ZUMA
Michael J. Socolow

Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States of America on Jan. 20, 2021.

Imagine if someone could go back in time and inform him and his communications team that a few pivotal changes in the media would occur during his first three years in office.

There’s the latest news that Rubert Murdoch, 92, stepped down as the chairperson of Fox Corp. and News Corp. on Sept. 21, 2023. Since the 1980s, Murdoch, who will be replaced by his son Lachlan, has been the most powerful right-wing media executivein the U.S.

While it’s not clear whether Fox will be any tamer under Lachlan, Murdoch’s departure is likely good news for Biden, who reportedly despises the media baron.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest