Research on media framing of public policies to prevent chronic disease: A narrative synthesis

Abstract

Media coverage plays a key role in shaping public and political attitudes towards policy interventions to improve health. We reviewed studies of news media to identify the arguments used to frame policies that address risk factors for chronic disease, and the impact of different arguments on attitudes to policy. Drawing on a previous scoping review, we identified a subsample of 49 studies of media framing of policies to address risk factors for lifestyle-related chronic disease for further analysis. We extracted and synthesised data to explore key themes. Of the limited research that has been undertaken, most studies have focused on tobacco policy, followed by alcohol, with a small number of studies of food and beverage policies. Studies have primarily used content analysis. Our synthesis demonstrated that advocates and opponents draw on five frames: health, social, economic, practical and ideological. Only a small number of studies have examined the impact of framing on public attitudes towards policy interventions, although such studies have tended to focus on the impact of how problems, rather than solutions (i.e. policies) are framed. Media research is crucial to understanding the complex ways in which attitudes towards policy interventions shape, and are shaped by, public discourses and can provide public health advocates with insights into strategies to successfully position policy arguments. This review highlights key insights and gaps in the hope that this will stimulate further research that will enhance public health advocates' abilities to promote effective public health policy.

Framing of nutrition policy issues in the Australian news media, 2008‐2018

“…There was little challenge to this hyperbole from nutrition advocates, which is consistent with findings from other studies which found health advocates did little to contest nanny-state rhetoric when used by opponents of regulation. 45,46 Two sectors were predominantly utilised as expert sources by the Australian news media, nutrition advocates and the food industry. While nutrition advocates dominated newspaper commentary, the messages between public health organisations and individual nutrition spokespeople were not always consistent which contrasted with the united messages from food industry.…”

The Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic on Socio-Economic Mobility in Indonesia

“…It is an important thing to remember at the peak of this panic produces egoism like capitalists, xenophobia and believe in every news item that was seen on social media (Cinelli et al, 2020). Because, in a pandemic situation, hoax information can appear to makes various perspective public and contribute to public panic (Rowbotham et al, 2019). It must be a vital point to Government secure public trust, because to resolve pandemic needs collaboration in all sectors (Reppond and Bullock, 2018).…”

30+ years of media analysis of relevance to chronic disease: a scoping review

“…Further synthesis of study findings across different risk factors, causes and solutions, is also an important next step in order to demonstrate the key insights from the field as a whole that can be applied to aid understanding of future actions. For example, we recently conducted a synthesis of studies of the content and effects of media framing of a range of policy interventions for chronic disease prevention to inform an understanding of the how future policies might be portrayed in the media and responded to by the public [300]. Finally, while not the main focus of our search, we noted a steady increase in recent years in the number of articles considering the social determinants of health in relation to chronic disease prevention, which may represent an important shift towards recognising the key role that such factors play in shaping health.…”