This essay explores the news media’s portrayal of humor during the early phase of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Examining a collection of online news articles reveals the media tended to frame the issue as an ethical one (e.g., “is it okay to laugh at the coronavirus?”). After reviewing work on humor ethics, a qualitative content analysis of 20 news media articles is presented. Three issues from the news stories are identified, allowing comparison of the media’s claims against the ethical principles articulated. The essay concludes with a consideration of how news media’s coverage of humor fits within a broader pandemic narrative.

中文翻译：

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新闻媒体报道冠状病毒幽默的伦理

本文探讨了与COVID-19相关的锁定的早期阶段，新闻媒体对幽默的描绘。对一系列在线新闻文章进行检查后发现，媒体倾向于将其视为具有道德意义的问题（例如，“可以嘲笑冠状病毒吗？”）。在回顾了幽默伦理方面的工作之后，对20条新闻媒体文章进行了定性的内容分析。从新闻故事中识别出三个问题，从而可以将媒体的主张与所阐述的道德原则进行比较。本文的结尾考虑了新闻媒体对幽默的报道如何适合更广泛的流行病叙述。