Between Uncertainty and Urgency: Insights from Brazilian Journalists on Health Communication in the COVID-19 Crisis
1
Núcleo de Educação e Humanidades em Saúde - Jaracandá, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brasília, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
In a context marked by uncertainty and health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic, journalistic production processes acquired new specificities. In Brazil, this occurred alongside a crisis of trust in politics, institution and the press, which fostered the spread of fake news. These dynamics shaped public perceptions of health information and journalistic work, reverberating through journalists’ daily professional practices. Many journalists could not remain at home and had to travel to where the news unfolded, remaining exposed to the risk of viral infection. Even those working remotely faced significant disruptions to their routines, health, and personal lives as they sought to communicate rapidly evolving data amid profound uncertainty. This study analyzes Brazilian journalists’ perceptions of their professional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS:
This descriptive study was conducted through an online opinion survey that gathered responses from 644 journalists across different regions of Brazil.
RESULTS:
Most Brazilian journalists reported having little or no specific training in health journalism at the onset of the health emergency, revealing structural weaknesses in health communication. Journalists were required to develop new competencies in real time, facing long working hours and a constant demand for updated information on COVID-19. Their main sources were health specialists, public managers, and scientific institutions—an indication of the search for legitimacy and reliability in news production. The pandemic also reshaped a substantial portion of journalists’ perceptions of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and of science itself.
CONCLUSIONS:
The health crisis highlighted not only critical gaps in health-related training throughout journalists’ careers but also the urgent need for continuous education policies and improved working conditions. Strengthening these aspects is essential to better equip journalism to respond not only to future health emergencies but also to the ongoing demands of health communication in everyday practice.
In a context marked by uncertainty and health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic, journalistic production processes acquired new specificities. In Brazil, this occurred alongside a crisis of trust in politics, institution and the press, which fostered the spread of fake news. These dynamics shaped public perceptions of health information and journalistic work, reverberating through journalists’ daily professional practices. Many journalists could not remain at home and had to travel to where the news unfolded, remaining exposed to the risk of viral infection. Even those working remotely faced significant disruptions to their routines, health, and personal lives as they sought to communicate rapidly evolving data amid profound uncertainty. This study analyzes Brazilian journalists’ perceptions of their professional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS:
This descriptive study was conducted through an online opinion survey that gathered responses from 644 journalists across different regions of Brazil.
RESULTS:
Most Brazilian journalists reported having little or no specific training in health journalism at the onset of the health emergency, revealing structural weaknesses in health communication. Journalists were required to develop new competencies in real time, facing long working hours and a constant demand for updated information on COVID-19. Their main sources were health specialists, public managers, and scientific institutions—an indication of the search for legitimacy and reliability in news production. The pandemic also reshaped a substantial portion of journalists’ perceptions of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and of science itself.
CONCLUSIONS:
The health crisis highlighted not only critical gaps in health-related training throughout journalists’ careers but also the urgent need for continuous education policies and improved working conditions. Strengthening these aspects is essential to better equip journalism to respond not only to future health emergencies but also to the ongoing demands of health communication in everyday practice.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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