ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the coverage of lockdowns by Al-Jazeera and BBC. It starts with key literature on lockdowns and measures adopted during pandemics, after which it looks at the type of language and discourse used to describe lockdowns and its impact on countries and citizens. The two channels played an educative role as they introduced and explained different types of lockdowns, urging their audience to adhere to these measures, as they were designed to protect the population. The analysis shows that the two channels appeared to adopt a positive discourse despite the difficult situation, urging their audience to adhere to the rules and measures introduced by governments. This is very evident in the use of compulsory modality verbs such as “yajib” (should). The chapter also offers an analysis of public sentiments and the repercussions of lockdowns on their daily lives.
