Los nombres de la epidemia de 1918 en la prensa de la época.

  1. Silvia Hurtado González 1
  1. 1 Universidad de Valladolid
    info

    Universidad de Valladolid

    Valladolid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01fvbaw18

Journal:
Tonos digital: revista de estudios filológicos

ISSN: 1577-6921

Year of publication: 2022

Issue: 42

Type: Article

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More publications in: Tonos digital: revista de estudios filológicos

Abstract

The pandemic we are experiencing has prompted us to consider (or reconsider) various aspects of the most devastating epidemic on record: the 1918 epidemic. At present, the information on this disease is quite extensive and diverse, but there are still specific points that are little researched, such as the names it received in the press of the time. There are two reasons for carrying out this study. First of all, it was the first health crisis to receive extensive coverage in the press. Second, at that time, the name of the epidemic posed a challenge for journalists who, caught between popular creativity and rigour, had to figure out how to deal with the uncertainties of the situation, starting with the unresolved questions of the origin and causes of this disease, which are still controversial today. In order to carry out this aim, a journalistic corpus was prepared with texts belonging to the newspaper El Imparcial. Subsequently, the data obtained was analysed, revealing that the name Spanish flu, with which this epidemic is known throughout the world, is practically absent in the Spanish press. Moreover, the press of the time openly expressed its rejection of the name "Spanish". But it was not until the middle of the 20th century that this term became suspect, and subsequent research revealed the inaccuracy of the name.

Bibliographic References

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