Making sense of cancer news coverage trends: a comparison of three comprehensive content analyses

Abstract

Abstract:Cancer stories (N = 5,327) in the top 50 U.S. newspapers were analyzed by a team of four coders and the results were compared with the earliest analyses of this type (from 1977 and 1980). Using cancer incidence rates as a comparison, three cancers were found to be consistently underreported (male Hodgkin's, and thyroid) and four cancers were found to be consistently overreported (breast, blood/Leukemia, pancreatic, and bone/ muscle). In addition, cancer news coverage consistently has focused on treatment rather than on other aspects of the cancer continuum (e.g., prevention), portrayed lifestyle choices (e.g., diet, smoking) as the most common cancer risk factor, and rarely reported incidence or mortality data. Finally, the data were compatible with the idea that personalization bias (e.g., celebrity profiles, event coverage) may explain some news coverage distortions.Keywords: cancer, news coverage, content analyses, health communication.In their latest review of cancer trends, Jemal and colleagues (2008) noted that for all cancer sites combined, incidence rates have stabilized and mortality rates continue to decrease. At the site level, however, certain cancers still share a disproportionate amount of the cancer burden. Prostate, breast, lung, and colon cancers account for 50% of new cancer cases as well as 49%-50% of estimated cancer deaths.

Media Reporting on Air Pollution: Health risk and precautionary measures in national and regional newspapers

“…Similarly to other content analyses analyzing newspaper reporting of other health issues [36][37][38][39], we found that air pollution stories contained more threat information than efficacy information. It is important that newspapers report about the threat of air pollution on health, as this informs the public on the need for action.…”

Discursive constructions of youth cancer: findings from creative methods research with healthy young people

“…In this regard, it is noteworthy that others have identified the absence of incident and mortality data in news coverage of cancer. A content analysis of 2003 US newspapers finding only one in 20 stories reported mortality data [28]. Similarly, an Australian resource for friends of young people with cancer, where one might expect to find such information made explicit, says only that: "Most cancers can be treated and survival rates are increasing all the time" [29].…”

“…The 2014 Hollywood movie about youth cancer, The Fault in Our Stars [30], caused some concern among clinicians because of its 'unrealistic' portrayal of the low likelihood of survival [31]. The overrepresentation of death as the outcome of cancer in young people by the entertainment industry, and the relative absence of mortality rates in news reports, underscores the importance of "cultivating accurate illness representations" [28]. This is not a simple matter, however, as the public representation of cancer, particularly in young people, is heavily inscribed with social and political meaning.…”

The impact of emotion‐based mass media campaigns on stigma toward cervical screening non participation

“…However, mass media news articles may cover the topic of cancer in a variety of different ways (Bell & Seale, ). News articles commonly cover the topic of cancer by discussing factual information and stories about nonfamous individuals with cancer (Jensen, Moriarty, Hurley, & Stryker, ). In this research, we experimentally assessed the effects of factual news articles and news articles that contain an emotive narrative about a nonfamous person on cervical screening intention, and the process through which such effects occur.…”