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Ebola Discourses

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This essay will be discussing the various discourses that have been introduced in the given text ‘Smuggled Bushmeat is Ebola’s Back Door to America’, regarding the phenomenal Ebola outbreak that took over the media not only in Africa but internationally. Ebola virus disease or Ebola haemorrhagic fever is an illness that was carried by fruit bats then transferred to human beings. The disease can only be transferred from person to person through skin contact and release of body fluids. The disease was first discovered and originated from Central Africa in 1976, effecting many African people from central Africa then soon enough spreading across to the West of Africa as we know today. In 2014, the Ebola outbreak had mainly effected the West Africans, …show more content…

Discourse can be defined as being a form of communication. It is the dominant ideologies, concepts and ideas that are thought by the majority of society through the process of reasoning. In relation to the topic in the article involving the outbreak of Ebola and the concept of discourses, there are many arising discourses that have been mentioned in the article. Important terms that arise from the article are; discourses, interaction norms, issues of power and representation of Africa in the media. In this essay, the thesis approach will deal with how discourses have been reproduced through the negative representations of Africa about Ebola and what the world thinks of Africa. Discourses to be discussed are; power discourse, race based discourse and third world …show more content…

The media has placed a big role in the sculpturing of Africa and the Ebola outbreak. For example the tweet on Twitter, which is a global communication tool used to interact with the world, from Donald Trump sparked much buzz and controversy as to what the America may be possibly be thinking about Africa and the people of Africa especially West Africans. The tweet reads ‘Stop the EBOLA patients from entering the U.S. Treat them, at the highest level, over there. THE UNITED STATES HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS!’ this comment summarises the assumed thoughts of the non-African Americans. This tweet has power in the media, and has power over the thoughts of many of his followers and it influences the way people think of Africa and how serious the Ebola outbreak has impacted Africans. It shows the power discourse, and how influential media can play in today’s society. However, to counter argue the negative use of Ebola, social media has managed to bring more awareness to the Africa continent and many more countries across the globe. It has made people more cautious and aware of how serious the disease and what impact it can have on person’s

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