COVID-19 Pandemic and Interpretation of Conspiracy Theories in the Case of Print Media (Case of Georgia, 2020 - 2022)

Abstract

The paper addresses the COVID-19 pandemic and various related perspectives, which transcend the boundaries of reality and shape into irrational beliefs. One such belief is a conspiracy theory, the justification of which gains strength based on a conspiracy mentality. The study of conspiracy theory covers a long historical period. Here we can single out the conspiracy, theory, and mentality. Conspiracy is defined as illegal action by a small group working secretly to affect a historical event and change society. It can be said that conspiracy is an attendant of humanity. However, a conspiracy theory is an effort to explain this or that event or the chain of events resulting from a conspiracy. Such theories are structurally alike but contextually different. They also contain elements of reality needed for justification and are considered the only form of historical explanation. A conspiracy mentality is a cascade of misbeliefs people believe in and make logical mistakes in discussions. The events are viewed from the standpoint of conspiracy theory. Conspiracy, conspiracy theories, and conspiracy mentality are interrelated and become dangerous when facilitating destabilization and engaging in political actions. Each is characterized by the formation of views on the mystery and their explanation. According to this theory, part of consciousness is considered paranoid and is characterized by apocalyptic views. The conspiracy theory is well suited to close or secret societies, organizations that want to change the world based on their views. Conspiracy theories are often repeated and may even be revealed in modern society in different centuries. The result of such theories and mentality can be directed at one pole - "Good - Evil," "Now or Never," "Capitalism-Communism," "Anti-Semitism-Semitism," "Democracy - Totalitarianism," Etc. Individuals, who choose one radical path, perceive the other party as hostile and portray it as a destructive force. These contradictions and incompatibility are revealed in their discourse. The allegations relate to the other side, the accused, and have terrible intentions. The image of a counterpart, "witch hunt," is a result of a conspiracy mentality. This process is attended by a new interpretation of events and linking them to a concrete group, government, or state. People with a conspiracy mentality can be used in political life. Historically, there are cases when a conspiracy mentality led to a complete destabilization and the raising of a conflict, followed by casualties. A conspiracy mentality usually aggravates crises. The crises may be related to the whole world, a county, or a specific group. E.g., The 9/11 terrorist attack on The World Trade Center in the USA, the spread of HIV/AIDS, child vaccination, 5G technologies, and the subject of our study –COVID-19. The fundamental goal of our study is - the reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic-related conspiracy theories in the print media. Materials chosen for our study contained the daily, periodical, and weekly newspapers. The following newspapers were analyzed: "Resonance," "Akhali Taoba," "Kviris Palitra," "Asaval-Dasavali," "Alia," "Qronica+," "Sakartvelos Respublika," "Sakartvelo da Msoflio," "Saerto gazeti", "Versia." The study covered the media printed from January 2020 – May 2022. We mainly selected the articles containing the standpoints, conveying the conspiracy theories, or those in which the respondent conveyed information in the form of conspiracy theories. The context analysis method was chosen as the study tool. As a result, we found that most of the material on the conspiracy theory was published in five newspapers – "Rezonansi", "Kviris Palitra", "Asaval-Dasavali", "Alia", "Sakartvelo da Msoflio". The "Rezonansi" and "Kviris Palitra" were mostly publishing articles, realistically conveying the facts and events of the pandemic period but also criticizing the followers of the conspiracy theory. As for the newspapers "Asaval-Dasavali", "Alia", and "Sakartvelo da Msoflio" (Georgia and the World) ", they were constantly publishing articles conveying the theory of conspiracy and pointing at such conspiracy mentality. The share of such articles comes to 2021. The share of such articles comes to 2021; Information on the spread of the virus requires attention, as it is believed to be artificially spread. China, or in other cases, the USA, was accused as the main culprit. In this regard, conspiracy mentality provides relevant arguments - "The pandemic was quickly defeated in China; they were aware of the pandemic and hid it," etc. Others believe the United States started the "diminution of the population." And spread the virus for this purpose and are also working on a vaccine having a devastating effect on the vaccinated world. Billionaire Bill Gates became a "Scapegoat," and the myths were created that he was inventing microchips to spread around the world through vaccination and enslave or destroy the population and that the chips would be activated as a result of hooking up 5G technologies. Conspiracy theory also applies to the National Centers for Disease Control and Public Health in post-Soviet space (Georgia, Ukraine, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan, etc.). The existence of such centers became the subject of political controversy, e.g., between Russia and Georgia. The articles state that biological weapon is produced in similar laboratories. Vaccination of the masses is considered a hoax, and this lie is attributed to Masonic and mafia groups. Strictly the widespread rumors that the vaccine has a destructive effect on the human body and causes problems to human reproductive ability, etc., promoting the formation of the mobile power of anti-vaxxers. It is considered that vaccination is the basis for creating the new world order and that at the local level, the "doctors-mafia" involved in corruption gets activated.