Deadly Fever (Racism, Disease and a Media Panic)

Focusing on a 2001 Canadian news story that turned into a frantic rumor mill, this study analyses how media reporting on health issues often alarms the public, particularly when the race or immigration status of the sufferers is part of the coverage. In this case, a woman from the Congo was admitted to a hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, with a serious illness of unknown origin. Even though it was quickly determined that she did not carry the deadly Ebola virus, conjectures still spread through the Canadian media. Looking back at the event, this investigation conducts a content analysis of four major Canadian newspapers that carried the Hamilton story—as well as interviews with medical and other experts—and concludes that there was never any danger to the public.