Transformations in Online Health Reporting: Analyzing the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Health news reporting is an essential journalism niche that has a long-standing history of guiding and educating the public on medical developments in disease prevention and intervention during global health crises. When the COVID-19 epidemic arised, it significantly impacted how news organizations tackled health topics while overcoming adversity. This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the health reporting practice of the online news outlets in the United States. The findings revealed that data utilization decreased by 18.7%, inclusion of quotes from healthcare professionals decreased by 34.7% and readers’ engagement elements increased by 40%