Sex and relationship education and the media: an analysis of national and regional newspaper coverage in England

Abstract

Newspapers are recognised as a major source of factual information. The media representation of issues related to teenage pregnancy is important to policy makers and those delivering related interventions. This is particularly so in relation to issues which may be seen as sensitive by the\ud public, such as sex and relationship education (SRE). Despite general recognition of the importance of the media in communicating to the public, there is an absence of satisfactory tools with which to evaluate newspaper reports, particularly so in the field of SRE. In this paper we present a systematic examination of newspaper articles related to SRE from September 2000 to September 2002, in the national and regional press in England. Our analysis has highlighted some important distinctions between newspaper type, spokesperson and region. This paper concludes that a pro-active strategy of directly contacting high circulation newspapers with a view to positively influencing the tone of relevant articles and reports would be of considerable benefit to those involved in SRE, teenage pregnancy and related interventions

Sex, science and educational research: the unholy trinity1

“…It is 'developing more effective ways of delivering sex education'. There is some recent consensus about these formulations (Forrest et al, 2004;Kidger, 2004;Kingori et al, 2004), and our own evaluation for the English Department of Health certainly confirms that politicians and policy-makers in England and Wales see both 'problem' and 'solution' that way. 2 The 'problem/solution' axiomatic is legitimated internationally through Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tables.…”

“…After all, English researchers more often claim that these things are precisely what is lacking-and to be found elsewhere, perhaps in Holland (Social Exclusion Unit, 1999). Nevertheless, the UK media headlines are fortified by league tables that endlessly repeat the lead story that the 'under-18 conception rate is among the highest in the developed world' (Moore et al, 2003, p. 677;Kingori et al, 2004). It seems that moral panic about sex has an enduring fascination for both broadsheet as well as tabloid.…”

United Kingdom newsprint media reporting on sexual health and blood-borne viruses in 2010

“…Similar findings have been reported elsewhere. 13 This highlights the impact interest groups and stakeholders in general can have in influencing discussions of an issue or in mobilising public opinion. 23 Pruitt et al argue that the inclusion of experts outside the 'usual' medical realm, such as legislators, political activists and religious groups, may be a manifestation of the 'if it bleeds, it leads' strategy, again portraying controversial opinions, sensationalism and drama to engage readers.…”

“…There is precedence for this and particular sexual health organisations have made progress in working to quell the negative tone of media reporting around sexual health while positively influencing public debate. 13 The development of a strong, collective advocacy voice for sexual health in the UK could ensure that future media coverage of sexual health and BBV issues is positively portrayed.…”

Sexuality education in different contexts: limitations and possibilities

“…Indeed, there are few areas of the school curriculum that have generated as much consistent controversy as that of sexuality education (Corngold, 2013). It is often the focus of heated political debate (Lewis and Knijn, 2002) and media attention (Thompson and Blake, 2002;Kingori et al, 2004).…”