News Media Coverage Research Articles

COVID-19 in the Media: Stressors and Coping Mechanisms among Black Individuals

ABSTRACT Using survey data of 330 self-identified Black individuals, we examine how Black individuals coped with news media coverage about the negative consequences of COVID-19 for Black communities, and what stressors other than COVID-19 news coverage they experienced. We find that Black individuals relied primarily on healthy, positive-coping strategies (e.g., taking proactive health measures, spending time with family and friends, and focusing on work), with substance abuse, denial of reality, and news avoidance being the only maladaptive behaviors. Other stressors include personal health concerns, political and racial justice issues, and insecurities about employment, housing, finances, and the future. The research promotes narratives of how Black individuals navigate messaging about their cultural group during the pandemic and also addresses the role of intercultural communication via means of news consumption as a potential mechanism to encourage individual wellbeing.

Media coverage of commercial industry activities impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, 2018-2022.

This study aimed to examine the extent and nature of Australian news media coverage of commercial industry activities that explicitly speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts. We undertook content and framing analysis of Australian newspaper and online media articles published between January 2018 and March 2022 that included terms related to 'Indigenous', 'commercial' and 'health'. Analysis focused on the nature of coverage, framing of responsibility, patterns over time and stakeholder representation. Forty-six media articles were included in the analysis. Half of these articles related to the actions of three companies (Woolworths, WAM Clothing and Rio Tinto). Most articles described negative health and well-being impacts of commercial activity, while four described positive impacts. The most common voice represented in media articles was from industry (n = 25). Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander voices were represented in 21 articles. This analysis highlights how commercial activities in Australia are reported to negatively influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being, and that industry voices are more commonly represented in the media related to these issues.

Knowledge protects against pollution: The health effects of the cadmium rice event in China

The paper studies the effects of news media coverage of the 2013 cadmium rice event in China on consumer health outcomes and avoidance behavior. A difference-in-differences analysis shows that the event caused a 2% decrease in the incidence of joint or muscle pain (JMP), a major health outcome of cadmium pollution, in high-cadmium-pollution regions relative to other regions. Individuals with higher income or with more access to traditional TV media or digital media experienced a greater level of JMP reduction. To defend against cadmium pollution, residents in cadmium-polluted regions switched their drinking water from unsafe sources such as surface water to the safe source of deep groundwater and significantly reduced their consumption of rice. Our findings demonstrate the importance of information provision as an informal approach to complement formal environmental regulation and the critical role of news media in environmental regulation and public health.

Police Violence in Health Care Settings in US Media Coverage

Hospitals do not collect or share data tracking their policing and security activities despite their reliance on police and security personnel, including armed officers. Thus, little is known about how hospital security is associated with patient and staff safety. To examine the harms exerted by health care-affiliated police and security personnel. For this qualitative study, data were collected using a systematic Media Cloud search for US news media coverage from January 2011 to May 2022. A total of 18 987 articles on policing and hospitals were screened and a content and thematic analysis of articles that met the search criteria was conducted, which involved incidents that revealed harm to patients, patients' families, and staff. Data were analyzed from October 2022 to April 2023. Incident year, incident location (hospital name, city, state), survivor and victim characteristics (race and ethnicity, presence of mental illness), and a narrative description of the incident focusing on outcomes of harm exerted by police and security personnel in the health care setting. A total of 48 unique stories across 25 US states were included. The median (range) year published was 2017 (2009-2022). Harms reported to have been perpetuated by health care-affiliated police and security personnel were identified within 5 domains from 48 unique incidents: (1) patients shot by police or security personnel (17 patients); (2) patients subject to excessive use of force (17 patients); (3) patients arrested (7 patients); (4) patients subject to sexual assault (2 patients); and (5) hospital personnel or those considered collateral damage shot, injured, or arrested (5 individuals). Most survivors and victims were Black, although the race and/or ethnicity of involved individuals was not routinely reported across the news stories. Mental illness was the most documented medical condition among patients injured or killed by health care-affiliated police and security personnel. This qualitative study of US news media found that police and security personnel in hospitals were reported to have perpetuated harm via excessive force, sexual assaults, injuring patients and health care workers, and fatal shootings. Compounded by a lack of transparency and accountability mechanisms, this may represent an underrecognized manifestation of structural racism at the organizational level. Policy suggestions include introducing accountability measures, deescalation techniques, and removing arms from hospital security personnel to reduce harm and fulfill health care's healing mission.

Is the Whole Greater Than the Sum of its Parts? Aggregation of Sports Events as a Driver of Coverage of (the) European Championships on German TV News Shows

Various stakeholders have hailed the recently introduced “European Championships” – a multi-sport event comprising competitions for European titles in several sports – as a huge success, particularly because some previously overlooked niche sports received an extraordinary amount of media attention. Empirical evidence indicates that the event has elicited increased live broadcasting of the participating sports. However, retrospective coverage in popular news media also plays an important role in helping sports federations attract active members, fans, and sponsors. Based on mediatization and news value theory, we investigated whether “the European Championships” elicited increased coverage of the most popular German TV news show when compared with corresponding stand-alone competitions in previous years. We also assessed whether all participating sports benefitted equally from this mediatization strategy of aggregation. Employing quantitative content analysis using a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group in a field setting, we analyzed screen time from competitions during (the) European Championships, controlling for national success. The results overall indicate a significant positive aggregation effect, though not all sports profited equally. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of aggregation as a mediatization strategy that might be particularly attractive to niche sports federations.

The 2018 Teachers’ Strikes and the Social Construction of Teachers

In 2018, thousands of teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona walked off the job to protest low salaries and increase school funding. These strikes were significant because they were statewide and took place in “right to work” states. We analyze news media articles published in these states about the teachers’ strikes for insights into how local news media coverage might reflect and shape public opinion about teachers and teachers’ work. Using the social construction of target populations as a framework for the analysis, we analyze news media articles within and across the three states. We conclude that the news media coverage of the strikes in the three states diverged from national newspaper coverage in ways that may have increased the general public’s support for teachers and the teaching profession in these states during this period. Our analysis provides insights into possible counternarratives that can interrupt neoliberal narratives about teachers and teaching.

Power and the politics of infrastructure planning: a case study of the proposed construction of a high-speed rail system in Texas.

The proposed construction of a high-speed rail system in Texas has faced significant political and social challenges, in this paper we examine the power dynamics and political implications of infrastructure planning. The purpose of the article is to provide insights into the decision-making processes, stakeholder roles, and the influence of political and economic factors on infrastructure planning. Drawing on a qualitative research method, this study utilizes secondary data including News articles, media coverage, and Academic literature in which we explore the power dynamics and political landscape surrounding the high-speed rail system in Texas. The findings reveal that private companies, such as the Texas Central Partners, hold significant power and influence in driving the high-speed rail project. The study highlights the complex relationships and power struggles between different stakeholders including private companies, state governments, interest groups, and local communities in the infrastructure planning process. This study provides several recommendations for infrastructure planning practice. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of power dynamics and political factors in infrastructure planning, specifically focusing on the proposed high-speed rail system in Texas. The insights and recommendations presented have implications for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers involved in infrastructure planning and development. By addressing the complexities of power dynamics, this study aims to inform more equitable and sustainable infrastructure planning practices.

COVID-19 Frames the News: An Examination of Race and Pandemic Frames in Newspaper Coverage

During public health crises, newspapers play the significant role of disseminating health information, shaping the public response to public health messaging, and encouraging efficacious risk-reducing behaviors. In conducting this study which explored early news media coverage of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, we analyzed the content of articles from 14 major U.S. newspapers published from January 21, 2020 to September 22, 2020. In addition to identifying the news frames employed by newspapers, including health risks, prevention/education, political/legal issues, economic consequences, societal problems, and medical-scientific issues, we also found alarmist and fear-mongering newspaper coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the impacts of COVID-19 on African American/Black populations and Hispanic/Latino populations in the reviewed articles were mostly framed from the economic loss and societal problem perspectives. Another common observation was the newspaper coverage’s frequent focus on individualist explanations (e.g., health behaviors, lifestyles) for racial differences in COVID-19-related outcomes rather than systematic inequalities. Information concerning solutions to the disparities resulting from the pandemic was also limited. Essentially, our research results highlight how, during times of crisis, it is crucial for news media to convey accurate information to limit, mitigate, and reduce public harm.

Anger, Fear, and the Racialization of News Media Coverage of Protest Activity

AbstractBlack Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, and the Tea Party are among the many movements that have reignited media attention to protest activity. Yet, there is much to learn about what this media coverage conveys. In particular, how much does who is protesting matter for how the media portray protesters and their objectives? In this paper, we draw on an extensive content analysis of cable and broadcast news media coverage of protest activities to demonstrate substantial differences in how protests are covered depending on the race and objective of the protesters. We find that media are much more likely to depict protests by people of color using language that evokes a sense of threat by using anger- and fear-laden language than comparable coverage of protest activity involving mostly White individuals. Our results demonstrate that racial biases in news coverage are much broader than previously thought. In doing so, our work highlights the powerful role that a protester’s race plays in whether the media will condone or challenge their political voice.

Examining the quality of news media reporting of complex mental illness in relation to violent crime in Australia.

News reporting on mental illness can perpetuate stigma. An understanding of the current picture of such reporting is important to identify areas for improvement. This study investigated the quality of Australian news media coverage of complex mental illness in the context of crime and violence over a 2-year period, prior to the release of new media guidelines. This research utilised a systematic search of Australian news articles that were published between July 2018 and July 2020 and reported on mental illness in relation to violent crime. Researchers developed a Mental Illness and Crime Reporting Quality Framework to determine quality scores for news articles according to 11 relevant factors in media guidelines. An additional 11 characteristics of articles were extracted for further descriptive analysis. One-hundred and twenty-eight Australian news articles met inclusion criteria. The average quality score was 50 (SD = 13.91) out of a possible maximum score of 100 (range 11-78). Strengths and weaknesses were identified as some criteria were consistently met, and other criteria were met rarely or not at all. There were emerging trends between quality scores and article characteristics, including publication source, though these analyses were not statistically significant. The findings indicate that Australian news coverage of complex mental illness and violent crime met half of the criteria of reporting guidelines that minimises risk of perpetuating or reinforcing stigma. This demonstrates significant opportunity to improve the overall quality of media reporting on crime and mental illness. Future research should evaluate the impact of the guidelines on the quality of news reporting after their implementation by utilising a similar methodology, using these findings as a baseline measure.

The invisible frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining sourcing and the underrepresentation of female expertise in pandemic news coverage.

Several studies have shown that female experts are seldom quoted within news media coverage about health and science issues. Yet, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent race for a vaccine, female health and science workers (broadly defined) were at the forefront of the discovery, testing, and implementation of several vaccinations. This study examines the extent to which female experts were represented in news coverage about the vaccine over a 2-year period in The New York Times (n = 1978). Of the expert sources quoted (3,555), the majority were male (n = 2417) as compared to female (n = 1138). This pattern held when looking specifically at researchers and medical experts. When both a male and female source were quoted, however, females were quoted first, suggesting that females were given the role of being a primary rather than supporting expert. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The Gangster and the Bride: The Media Representation of Masculinity and Femininity in News Coverage of Jihadi Terrorists

ABSTRACT When European nationals left to join Islamic State, the media extensively reported on many of these individuals. Women’s news coverage had a recurrent narrative—the “jihadi bride.” Academic research has strived to analyse the nature of this coverage, effectively critiquing the narrative. Male jihadists have received limited attention in research on the roles of gender and media. This article seeks to contribute to a gap in knowledge concerning the comparative aspects of gendered representations by evaluating the differences between male and female news media coverage of two high-profile cases: the British woman Shamima Begum and the German man Denis Cuspert. Key findings show that Begum is primarily framed as a reject of British society and a “doubly deviant” woman. Cuspert is portrayed as radical, charismatic, active, and influential over youth. While aligning with previous research on gendered media tropes, this study advances knowledge by demonstrating how each individual’s framing does not merely emphasise gendered personality traits but also connects to broader societal and political factors in domestic contemporary cultural settings.

How academic research and news media cover climate change: a case study from Chile

IntroductionClimate change has significant impacts on society, including the environment, economy, and human health. To effectively address this issue, it is crucial for both research and news media coverage to align their efforts and present accurate and comprehensive information to the public. In this study, we use a combination of text-mining and web-scrapping methods, as well as topic-modeling techniques, to examine the similarities, discrepancies, and gaps in the coverage of climate change in academic and general-interest publications in Chile.MethodsWe analyzed 1,261 academic articles published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases and 5,024 news articles from eight Chilean electronic platforms, spanning the period from 2012 to 2022.ResultsThe findings of our investigation highlight three key outcomes. Firstly, the number of articles on climate change has increased substantially over the past decade, reflecting a growing interest and urgency surrounding the issue. Secondly, while both news media and academic research cover similar themes, such as climate change indicators, climate change impacts, and mitigation and adaptation strategies, the news media provides a wider variety of themes, including climate change and society and climate politics, which are not as commonly explored in academic research. Thirdly, academic research offers in-depth insights into the ecological consequences of global warming on coastal ecosystems and their inhabitants. In contrast, the news media tends to prioritize the tangible and direct impacts, particularly on agriculture and urban health.DiscussionBy integrating academic and media sources into our study, we shed light on their complementary nature, facilitating a more comprehensive communication and understanding of climate change. This analysis serves to bridge the communication gap that commonly, exists between scientific research and news media coverage. By incorporating rigorous analysis of scientific research with the wider reach of the news media, we enable a more informed and engaged public conversation on climate change.

Shortage of General Practitioners as a Topic in the Media—A Systematic Content-Related Analytical Study on Depiction Patterns (Frames) in News Media Coverage in the Federal Republic of Germany

The shortage of general practitioners (GPs) and the fact that country doctors’ practices are vanishing—a situation that is currently taking a turn for the worse in some regions of Germany—are issues that have been dealt with in the media as a topic of specific discussion for some time now. In the process, news coverage is dominated by certain depiction patterns, referred to as frames, which are shaped in terms of textual and visual impact. The present explorative study addresses the questions of which media depiction and interpretation patterns (frames) are encountered on the shortage of general practitioners in news coverage in the Federal Republic of Germany and how general practitioners, the circumstances, and the benefits of their care are presented in this context. In the course of a search via the Lexis Nexis database, a total of 655 news items were found or selected that mainly deal with the shortage of general practitioners (period from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2022). Furthermore, the media libraries of the two public television broadcasters ARD and ZDF were specifically searched for documentaries on the shortage of general practitioners for the said period. A qualitative content analysis was subsequently performed, in which characteristic reporting patterns on the topic under consideration were identified based on frame-defining categories. Five frames could be identified that outline the shortage of general practitioners in different ways. The first three frames present the dominant image of GPs as highly stressed, aged, or frustrated primary care providers who attempt to keep their practice going for as long as possible despite their increasing stress levels. The other frames portray the phenomenon of the shortage of GPs, in particular, as a side effect of demographic and structural changes, discuss the (diminishing) appeal of the profession of a general practitioner, or discuss the issue of remote areas that no longer have access to a GP practice and now receive ‘alternative solutions’. The frames identified reflect societal views and anxieties regarding the consequences of a progressive shortage of GPs, which have been spurred on by the media. They reflect the significance of the GP as a trustworthy and competent primary care provider who is not readily replaceable, neither in his/her role as a guide in the healthcare system nor with regard to his social function.

Painted in Broad Strokes: English-Language News Media Coverage of Home Care in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

As eldercare was at the forefront of mainstream news media during the COVID-19 pandemic, these media accounts may draw on and/or further reshape public understandings of home care in Canada. A frame analysis informed by critical discourse theory was used to examine 56 English-language articles related to home care (March 2020–March 2021). Home care is often “tacked on” to discussions of long-term residential care and is constructed by what it is not, by what it is a preferred alternative to, and by what it might circumvent (i.e., neglect, contagion). Infused with taken-for-granted meanings and linked to population aging and system crisis, home care is positioned as the progressive future of Canadian eldercare. Although home care investment is a common call, at times the gravity of the problem is imbalanced against small-scale individualistic solutions. Inequities of home spaces and impacts on families are obscured, with homes characterized as idealized places of dignity and (relative) safety. Older adults are positioned as vulnerable, passive victims, in contrast to their benevolent helpers. The authors discuss how we can clarify and strengthen political advocacy and public discourse around eldercare without reinforcing compassionate ageism, apocalyptic demography, and fear of aging while recognizing the nuances around receiving care in either home or residential settings.

Otherness and suspiciousness: a comparative study of public opinions between the Confucius Institute and Goethe-Institut in developing countries

This study aims to examine the differences in lexical priming features between Confucius Institutes and Goethe-Instituts in developing countries using lexical priming theory and natural language processing techniques. By collecting news media coverage from 2014 to 2023, this study analyses the corpus through collocation, colligation, semantic association, and semantic prosody. In this study, it was found that the Goethe-Institut has a more stable institutional identity, while the Confucius Institute is still largely recognized for language teaching and cultural dissemination activities. The association of the Confucius Institute with China and its government creates a stronger sense of "otherness" and leads to negative perceptions. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of public perception and institutional image in developing countries.

The Manipulation of Pakistani News Media Using Deletion in News Reports of Rape Cases

This study aims at investigating the manipulation strategy of Pakistani news media coverage by using ‘deletion’ from macrostructure for promoting victim blaming in rape cases. The study uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model of Van Dijk to examine the data collected from the most prominent Pakistani newspapers such as Dunya News, ARY News, Geo News, Dawn News, and The Express Tribune. The data was collected from their official websites. The study examined the impact of news media in reporting rape cases by using Van Dijk’s macrostructure model of CDA. The findings of the study revealed that the news media consciously uses ‘deletion’ as one of the four elements of macrostructure to conceal the truth in reporting the rape cases. One the basis of findings, the study recommends certain measures to minimize the issue of biased media coverage and victim blaming in Pakistan.

Media Framing of Causes, Risks, and Policy Solutions for Cannabis-Impaired Driving: Does Medical vs. Non-Medical Cannabis Context Matter?

ABSTRACT Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is a major cause of preventable death and a growing public health concern. News media coverage of DUIC may influence public perceptions of causal factors for DUIC, risks of DUIC, and potential policy solutions. This study examines Israeli news media coverage of DUIC, and contrasts media coverage according to whether news items refer to cannabis use for medical vs. non-medical purposes. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of news articles related to driving accidents and cannabis use (N = 299) from eleven of the highest circulation newspapers in Israel between 2008 and 2020. We apply attribution theory to analyze media coverage of accidents that were linked to medical cannabis, use compared with non-medical use. News items describing DUIC in the context of non-medical (vs. medical) cannabis use were more likely to: (a) emphasize individual causes (vs. social and political); (b) describe drivers in negative terms (vs. neutral or positive); (c) refer to an increased accident risk due to cannabis use (vs. inconclusive or low risk); and (d) call for increased enforcement rather than education. Results show that Israeli news media coverage of cannabis-impaired driving varied significantly depending on whether it referred to cannabis use for medical purposes, or non-medical purposes. News media coverage may influence public perceptions of the risks of DUIC, the factors that are associated with this issue, and potential policy solutions that may reduce the prevalence of DUIC in Israel.

Understanding support for aquaculture policy: The role of information exposure, information seeking, and source credibility

Aquaculture information is omnipresent—from news media coverage, to government websites, to social media and marketing campaigns. These mediated accounts may contribute to amplifying or attenuating perceived risks or benefits, a key concern for ensuring the social acceptability of aquaculture and securing social license to operate for new development. Using survey data collected from Maine (U.S.) residents, we apply concepts from the risk information seeking and processing model (RISP) to understand the social psychological determinants of information seeking intentions about marine aquaculture. Extending the model, we also explore how such intentions influence support for aquaculture policy more broadly. Results reproduced many previously established RISP relationships, such as that believing aquaculture to be highly salient—along with judging a gap between what one knows and wants to know about this issue (i.e., information insufficiency) — motivate information seeking. Yet, contrary to expectation, beliefs about what others expect one to know about aquaculture (i.e., informational subjective norms) was not associated with information seeking. Further, we found a negative relationship between perceived ability to find relevant information (i.e., information gathering capacity) and current knowledge about aquaculture, and no significant relationship between capacity and information seeking. These unexpected findings lead to further questions about the generalizability of RISP outside of explicitly “risky” contexts and may suggest issues particular to aquaculture development in Maine. Theoretical and practical implications are presented.

#RoeOverturned: Twitter Dataset on the Abortion Rights Controversy

On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned landmark rulings made in its 1973 verdict in Roe v. Wade. The justices by way of a majority vote in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, decided that abortion wasn't a constitutional right and returned the issue of abortion to the elected representatives. This decision triggered multiple protests and debates across the US, especially in the context of the midterm elections in November 2022. Given that many citizens use social media platforms to express their views and mobilize for collective action, and given that online debate provides tangible effects on public opinion, political participation, news media coverage, and the political decision-making, it is crucial to understand online discussions surrounding this topic. Toward this end, we present the first large-scale Twitter dataset collected on the abortion rights debate in the United States. We present a set of 74M tweets systematically collected over the course of one year from January 1, 2022 to January 6, 2023.