From Epicentre to Hero City: How Wuhan Survived the Pandemic

Zizhen Wang, Stephen Andriano-Moore

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingBook Chapterpeer-review

Abstract

After the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan, China in early 2020, the large-scale public health emergency had a tremendous impact on China and the world. Due to the epidemic’s effects, Wuhan's city image turned highly damaging. In response to this situation, the central government, Hubei provincial government, and the Wuhan municipal government responded quickly by holding press conferences and issuing an epidemic prevention manual. These actions strengthened the image of an efficient, transparent, and trustworthy government. State media worked to change the city's image though publicising stories of specific people portrayed as brave enough to sacrifice their safety during the epidemic, including doctors, volunteers, community workers, construction workers, and others. By constantly reporting their stories, the image of Wuhan was gradually shaped into that of a hero city.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCoping with COVID-19, the Mobile Way
Subtitle of host publicationExperience and Expertise from China
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages233-256
Number of pages24
ISBN (Electronic)9789811957871
ISBN (Print)9789811957864
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • City image
  • Digital media
  • Health communication
  • Wuhan

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences
  • General Medicine
  • General Engineering
  • General Computer Science

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