Mediatised risk culture: News coverage of risk technologies

In this article, we examine if and how a particular risk culture emerges as mediated and mediatised for a number of diverse technological risks. Modern news reporting is increasingly preoccupied with representing risk events in order to show how technological lifestyles affect our human and natural environments. In this article, we draw on data from project which used a comparative research design to investigate media coverage of four contemporary risks, in order to show how public risk communication contributes to the establishment of a broader mediatised risk culture. The project combined a quantitative content analysis with a qualitative study of a sample (n = 344) of news items across three different Danish media platform. We found that risk reporting varied substantially depending on dominant news themes, cultural resonance and media platform. However, within these variations we also found common elements such as the discursive representations of risk as contested and/or manageable. Based on the aggregate picture of the four risk studied, we argue that the media risk discourse takes a particular form that is different to risk discourse in other social arenas. Media risk discourse, therefore, tends to share certain cultural traits which results in the representation of risks as either (un-)manageable or (un-)controllable according to the level of public or elite disagreement in public debate.     

Risks,benefits and the role of stakeholders in pathogen reduction technology

While Canada’s blood supply is currently very safe, risks remain, prompting blood suppliers to develop a more effective strategy to minimise the risk of transmitting infectious agents through blood transfusion. Pathogen reduction technology provides an additional way to protect the blood supply from new threats. However, the uptake of this new technology has been slow, reflecting the safety of the current system, the success of surveillance and screening methods, the lack of knowledge regarding pathogen reduction technology and the impact of pathogen reduction on blood quality and recipient safety. In the absence of public debate, the legacy of previous adverse events and the challenges of negotiating perceptions of risk, our objective in this article is to explore stakeholder perceptions of the challenges of introducing pathogen reduction technology in Canada. In this article, we provide a debate about risk communication and assessment drawing on data from a study of 2010 that used focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders, including media, blood suppliers, blood or blood product recipients and implementers of pathogen reduction technologies to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of risk assessment and communication. We found that there was a broad understanding among stakeholders of the need to effectively communicate the risks and benefits of pathogen reduction technology and to provide accurate information. Consequently, we predict that public acceptance of the new technology will be largely based on its perception of the risk of pathogen reduction technology.     

Do the leads tell the whole story? An analysis of story leads of the Walkerton,Ontario E. coli contamination of drinking water supplies

Despite the availability of a variety of information sources, the news media remain one of the dominant sources of representations of advances in science, technology, government policies and other issues important to society. Some researchers have argued that story leads are important for conveying the content of an entire story and are highly memorable. We seek to address two questions in this article: how reliable is the story lead as a proxy for full text; and to what extent does the emphasis of one type of framing in the story lead influence the details of what people may remember of a particular event? From an analysis of a large media dataset including Canadian national newspaper and televised broadcasts, we compare the content of story leads to the full story text. We also draw on comments from news reporters reflecting on the importance of the lead and story structure principles that they follow in constructing a news story. We compare the results from the media dataset to recollections from participants from general public focus groups. We argue that in this particular case study, the news frames that reporters emphasised (health – illnesses and deaths as a result of the contamination) do not correspond with what average Ontarians from 10 focus groups remembered. We also conclude that while media story leads are an important device used to structure news stories, they do not serve as a good proxy measure for what is actually covered in the full text.     

Communicating population health: Print news media coverage of type 2 diabetes

The public learns much about health and health policy from the news media. The news media can shape the public's opinions about issues by emphasizing certain features in their coverage, such as the causes of a problem, who is responsible for addressing it, and what groups are affected. This study examines media framing of the problem of type 2 diabetes, focusing on the extent to which the news media discuss diabetes using features that characterize a population health orientation (mentioning social determinants, upstream interventions, or disparities). We collected data from 698 print news articles appearing in 19 U.S. newspapers between 2005 and 2006. Results demonstrate that the predominant explanation for type 2 diabetes was behavioral factors and obesity. The predominant strategy to address diabetes was individualized behavior changes and medical care. A minority of articles described the social determinants of diabetes, upstream policy solutions, and disparities in diabetes; such articles appeared in a select subset of news outlets. These findings suggest the potential for great variability in public awareness of disparities in diabetes or its social determinants, with implications for the public's likelihood of supporting policies that may improve population health.     

Strategies for dismissing dietary risks: insights from user-generated comments online

Communication around chronic dietary risks has proved challenging as dietary health risks are ostensibly met with attenuated perceptions of their likelihood and consequences. In this article, we examine the strategies that an online public use to negotiate risk messages from expert stakeholders that may be incongruent with their own position on a risk. Progressing from conceptualisations of amplification as laid out in the social amplification of risk framework, we are particularly interested in understanding whether and how amplifications of risk may be attributed towards other stakeholders. The article presents an analysis of comments posted on a website oriented to a British audience. These comments were left by members of the public in reply to two online media articles published in 2012 reporting on an epidemiological study carried out in the United States on the risks of red meat consumption. We found that the comments generally expressed resistance to the risk message, embodied in two main strategies. The first strategy was to discount the message itself by deploying rules of thumb that undermined the applicability of the general risk message to the particularities of the individual. The second strategy was to undermine the risks by casting doubt on the credibility of the message source. Together, these strategies allowed the commenters to argue that the risks and the process of communicating them resulted in an exaggerated picture. These findings highlight that by attributing amplification to others, further polarisation of risk views between stakeholders may occur. Thinking about amplification as an attribution provides a distinct and significant conceptual contribution to the study of incongruent risk responses.     

SARS Wars: An Examination of the Quantity and Construction of Health Information in the News Media

The media have the power to sway public perception of health issues by choosing what to publish and the context in which to present information. The media may influence an individual's tendency to overestimate the risk of some health issues while underestimating the risk of others, ultimately influencing health choices. Although some research has been conducted to examine the number of articles on selected health topics, little research has examined how the messages are constructed. The purpose of this article is to describe an examination of the construction of news reports on health topics using aspects of the social amplification of risk model and the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion for theoretical direction. One hundred news media reports (print, radio, television, and Internet) were analyzed in terms of message repetition, context, source, and grammar. Results showed that health topics were more often discussed in terms of risk, by credible sources using strong language. This content analysis provides an empirical starting point for future research into how such health news may influence consumer's perceptions of health topics.     

The metaphors of risk: Biotechnology in the news

News coverage of biotechnology is rich with metaphors, expressing the hopes as well as the fears and uncertainties of this rapidly advancing field. In analysing the constructions and productions of risk, scholars can learn much from a study of the role of metaphors in news and other media. News items often include a mixture and clash of metaphors reflecting the complex and often polarized views which surround biotechnologies. Recently reported issues such as GM crops, cloning breakthroughs, embryonic stem cell research, and new genetic tests, for example, are replete with rich and often contending metaphors. A study of the role of metaphors in the framing of biotechnology issues can help scholars develop a more sophisticated understanding of the social processes involved in the construction and production of risk and of the politics of the definition of public issues.     

SARS wars: an examination of the quantity and construction of health information in the news media

The media have the power to sway public perception of health issues by choosing what to publish and the context in which to present information. The media may influence an individual's tendency to overestimate the risk of some health issues while underestimating the risk of others, ultimately influencing health choices. Although some research has been conducted to examine the number of articles on selected health topics, little research has examined how the messages are constructed. The purpose of this article is to describe an examination of the construction of news reports on health topics using aspects of the social amplification of risk model and the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion for theoretical direction. One hundred news media reports (print, radio, television, and Internet) were analyzed in terms of message repetition, context, source, and grammar. Results showed that health topics were more often discussed in terms of risk, by credible sources using strong language. This content analysis provides an empirical starting point for future research into how such health news may influence consumer's perceptions of health topics.     

Local News Media Framing of Obesity in the Context of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Reduction Media Campaign

ObjectiveThis study examined local news media's framing of obesity preceding and surrounding the Philadelphia sugar-sweetened beverage reduction media campaign.MethodsUsing key search terms pertaining to obesity and sugary beverages, the authors searched the LexisNexis database and gathered local news stories (n = 167) that were aired or published between October, 2010 and March, 2011. They conducted a content analysis, coding for framing-related outcome measures (underlying factors, action steps, and contextual agents).ResultsOverall, the news media employed individual-level framing in the majority of stories when discussing obesity, both before and after the campaign launch. After the campaign launched, however, stories were significantly more likely to mention systemic-level contextual agents such as food companies (P = .008), beverage companies (P = .03), and champions or advocates (P = .001).Conclusions and ImplicationsThe researchers observed a shift in the local news media discourse toward more thematic framing of obesity, and suggest that public health officials consider the potential impact of news media frames on garnering public support for future policy implementations.     

When Information from Public Health Officials is Untrustworthy: The Use of Online News,Interpersonal Networks,and Social Media during the MERS Outbreak in South Korea

Public health officials (PHOs) are responsible for providing trustworthy information during a public health crisis; however, there is little research on how the public behaves when their expectations for such information are violated. Drawing on media dependency theory and source credibility research as our primary theoretical framework, we tested how credibility of information from PHOs is associated with people’s reliance on a particular communication channel in the context of the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea. Using nationally representative data (N = 1036) collected during the MERS outbreak, we found that less credible information from PHOs led to more frequent use of online news, interpersonal networks, and social media for acquiring MERS-related information. However, credibility of information from PHOs was not associated with the use of television news or print newspapers. The theoretical and practical implications of our results on communication channels usage are discussed.     

The role of the media in construction and presentation of food risks

In this article we examine how and why the media construct food risks, from the perspective of ‘media actors’ (people involved in different types of media) using data from 30 interviews conducted in 2013 with media actors from Australia and the United Kingdom. In modern society, many risks are invisible and are brought to the attention of the public through representations in the mass media. This is particularly relevant for food safety, where the widening gap between producers and consumers in the developed world has increased the need for consumer trust in the food supply. We show the importance of newsworthiness in construction of media stories about food risk using Beck’s ideas on cosmopolitan risk to interpret the data. We note the ways in which the strategies that media actors use to construct stories about food risk amplify the risk posed potentially creating consumer anxiety about the safety of the food system. It is important for food regulators and public health professionals to be aware of this anxiety when presenting information about a food incident so that they can target their message accordingly to decrease anxiety.     

Framing the debate and taking positions on food allergen legislation: The 100 chefs incident on social media

Those suffering with food allergies and intolerances need to consider risk every day, and professional organisations are increasingly enrolled in this risk management venture (e.g. offering support, developing legislation, and enforcing laws). Following the release of new food allergen rules in the UK, the Daily Telegraph, a national broadsheet newspaper, published a letter and an article in March 2015 endorsed by 100 chefs criticising the legislation. The chefs felt that innovation and creativity were being harmed by the requirement to state the presence of 14 allergens in the dishes they cooked. Following the release, many food allergen-concerned consumers utilised social media to share their views. In this article we use qualitative research data, comments posted online and collected between 9 and 16 March 2015, to explore how claimants positioned themselves and others in the ensuing online debate, and how the debate itself was framed. The data included traditional news articles, online forum comments, individual Twitter posts, and Twitter discussions. We identified frames across the debate discourse that emphasised medical concerns around managing risks associated with food allergy/intolerance, the assignment of responsibility, fairness of access, the political nature of the debate, and the financial implications involved. We draw on Positioning Theory to illustrate how user-positions can be defined, redefined, and challenged in the light of new or varying information. Our findings have implications for understanding communication around managing food risks from both a consumer and business perspective, and understanding the progression of debates through both traditional and new media platforms.     

Australian television news coverage of alcohol,health and related policies, 2005 to 2010: implications for alcohol policy advocates

Objective: To describe television news coverage between 2005 and 2010 of alcohol, health and relevant alcohol‐control policies, with a view to informing policy advocacy. Methods: A content analysis of all alcohol stories archived by the Australian Health News Research Collaboration. We recorded what triggered a news item, the main topics covered, whether risks to health were communicated, whether alcohol‐control policies were featured and which news‐actors appeared. Results: We identified 612 stories, where 69.2% were triggered by a particular newsworthy incident or the release of new findings. The most frequently reported alcohol stories were focused on associated harms (30.2%) and ‘binge drinking’ (19.0%). A majority (75.3%) reported a variety of positive and negative health effects, yet mainly focused on short‐term consequences. Combined, 63% mentioned an alcohol‐control policy, yet no one particular policy was featured in more than 10% of all stories. The most commonly featured news‐actors included public‐health professionals (50.0%), members of affected communities (28.4%) and government representatives (24.3%) Conclusions: Problems related to alcohol were well‐established foci of news attention and reportage and covered a broad spectrum of issues related to public health goals, yet less coverage centred on long‐term health consequences or effective policy solutions. Implications: Future policy advocacy could focus on moving the debate away from simple problem definition to better communication of long‐term health risks, existing policies, and evidence of their effectiveness and arguments for their adoption. Future research might consider audience understanding of the information.     

卫生新闻宣传与健康教育

卫生新闻宣传是卫生工作的重要组成部分,其工作目标是向群众传播卫生工作中的重要信息,使群众了解国家及当地的卫生工作重点及其相关的内容。健康教育以传播、教育、干预为手段,以帮助个体和群体改变不健康行为和建立健康行为为目标。卫生新闻与健康教育既有区别又密切相关。由于医疗卫生与大众传媒分属不同学科领域,长期以来存在交流障碍。如何结合重大卫生新闻事件,强化防病知识的宣传;结合突发性传染病的及时报道,引导公众正确应对公共卫生危机;结合慢性病患病率的升高,宣传健康的生活方式等内容,是目前从事卫生新闻报道值得研究的课题。     

The rejection of science frames in the news coverage of the golden rice experiment in Hunan,China

In this article, we examine the ways in which media frames and rhetorical devices in the Chinese media shaped the representation of the genetically modified (GM) golden rice. We draw on a study of Chinese media representations of an experiment designed to test the efficacy of golden rice as a source of Vitamin A using school children in China’s Hunan province as subjects. The study analysed Chinese web news stories about the Hunan experiment posted between 30 August 2012 (when Greenpeace first reported on the issue) and 30 October 2012. This experiment resulted in allegations of breaches in scientific protocols and created a hostile public reaction. The incident fuelled the long-standing debate about the risks and benefits of GM crops in China. In this article, we analyse 25 online news reports, examining the attitudinal orientation of the articles, the readers’ comments on the articles and GM crops, the writing style and rhetorical devices employed, the emotions provoked and the frames manifest and embedded in these articles and comments. We found that although only one-third of the articles manifested an obviously negative attitude towards golden rice and GM foods, their use of strident metaphors and analogies were designed to arouse readers’ fear and concerns about GM crops. In the anti-golden rice articles, we identified conspiracy frames, including the view that the West was using genetic engineering to establish global control over agriculture and that GM products were instruments for genocide. The pro-golden rice articles emphasised the scientific humanitarian progress, but it appears to be less attractive to the readers.     

Who Is the Biggest Loser? Fat News Coverage Is a Barrier to Healthy Lifestyle Promotion

Through a textual and visual analysis of online news stories and public commentary about fat bodies, this article provides insights into the media's reporting on the “war on obesity.” It identifies the stigmatizing role that the media plays. Specifically, the media draws on five key discourses in constructing fat bodies: pathologized, gazed upon, marginalized, controlled, and gendered. As news media coverage influences how society views health and policy issues, we argue that social marketers need to take an active role in changing the public's antifat attitudes through healthy lifestyle promotion tactics and strategies that reduce weight stigma.     

Out of the dissecting room: news media portrayal of human anatomy teaching and research

Radical changes in medical research and education have recently led to a number of innovative developments in terms of how human anatomy is represented and understood. New ways of introducing medical students to anatomy (including living anatomies and virtual simulations) have provoked widespread debate, with discussion of their relative merits compared to more traditional approaches that use cadaveric dissection. Outside the field of medicine, in the wider public sphere, the practice of anatomical study may often seem mysterious. The dissemination of news on anatomy, we contend, is central to the question of how medical researchers and educators engage with the public. Our analysis of news media coverage in the UK demonstrates that news-making, by giving prominence to certain facts, themes and images, serves to mask issues about anatomy and its practices that need debate. We examine the ways in which news media, through processes of selection and the 'framing' of issues, may perform an agenda-setting role. We draw attention to the use of positive 'awe and amazement' frames including 'miracles of modern science', 'medical heroes', and 'gifts of life', alongside more negative 'guts and gore' coverage including 'Frankenstein', 'Brave New World' and 'Rape of the Body' frames that concentrate on high profile scandals associated with the use and misuse of human bodies, tissues and parts. We also highlight the selective use of commentaries from members of the medical profession, which are more prevalent in positive 'awe and amazement' stories than in stories with negative coverage. We conclude by arguing for greater collaboration between journalists on the one hand, and medical educators and researchers on the other, in the making of news in order to provide portrayals of anatomy which bear a closer relationship to the everyday reality of professional work.     

Constructing public and political discourse on alcohol issues: towards a framework for analysis

AIMS: To examine the possibilities for research into news reporting and its role in reflecting and informing public and political beliefs and action in relation to alcohol and drinking practices. METHOD: Studies on media and alcohol, focusing on the role of media in relation to alcohol consumption and drinking-related practices, policies and beliefs. RESULTS: Most research on alcohol and media has focused on either advertising or entertainment media content, rather than on news reporting and its wider social implications. CONCLUSION: The role of news reporting could usefully be widened. We offer a framework for analysing the role of news media in relation to public debate and practice with regard to alcohol and drinking.     

Different frames,different fears: communicating about chlorinated drinking water and cancer in the Canadian media

Risk issues become complicated when scientific evidence concerning a potential environmental exposure is equivocal; particularly when many argue that the public health benefits of a policy action outweigh any potential negative health effects. Chlorinated drinking water, and chlorinated disinfection byproducts (CDBPs) that are formed during the disinfection process, represent a useful case-study for examining these complications. We conduct a media analysis of chlorinated drinking water stories in the Canadian print media from 1977 to 2000. We examine media presentations of science compared to framings by scientists, regulators, the chlorine industry, water utility representatives, and non-governmental organizations of the CDBP issue based on key informant interviews. We argue that there are two main framings of the debate, each of which are powerful in constructing risk perceptions. On the one hand, many frame the debate as a 'voluntary' risk: we choose chlorine disinfection to protect against microbial risks with a possible adverse consequence of that protection. On the other hand, others frame the issue as an 'involuntary' risk: chlorine disinfection was a 'choice' imposed by public health and water utility officials; a choice that carries a potential cancer risk, and alternative disinfection technologies are advocated. We demonstrate these different frames by examining metaphorical constructs of water, chlorine and cancer contained within them.