Thrust Into the Spotlight: COVID-19 Focuses Media Attention on Nursing Homes

Abstract

Objective This study sheds light on the agenda setting role of the media during the COVID-19 crisis by examining trends in nursing home (NH) coverage in four leading national newspapers—The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times. Methods Keyword searches of the Nexis Uni database identified 2,039 NH-related articles published from September 2018 to June 2020. Trends in the frequency of NH coverage and its tone (negative) and prominence (average words, daily article count, opinion piece) were examined. Results Findings indicate a dramatic rise in the number of NH articles published in the months following the first COVID-19 case, far exceeding previous levels. NH coverage became considerably more prominent, as the average number of words and daily articles on NHs increased. The proportion of negative articles largely remained consistent, though volume rose dramatically. Weekly analysis revealed acceleration in observed trends within the post-COVID-19 period itself. These trends, visible in all papers, were especially dramatic in The New York Times. Discussion Overall, findings reveal marked growth in the frequency and number of prominent and negative NH articles during the COVID-19 crisis. The increased volume of coverage has implications for the relative saliency of NHs to other issues during the pandemic. The increased prominence of coverage has implications for the perceived importance of addressing pre-existing deficits and the devastating consequences of the pandemic for NHs.

Ageism in COVID-Related Newspaper Coverage: The First Month of a Pandemic

“…Equally concerning are portrayals of aging as defined by institutionalization or threat of death or illness. While the proportion of news coverage portraying nursing facilities negatively remained consistent before and after the onset of COVID-19, the number of stories rose dramatically, nearly tripling in frequency ( Miller et al, 2021 ). The poignancy and repetition of this image may be deeply impactful in shaping public opinion of aging and residential long-term services and supports beyond the pandemic, but it can also negatively impact willingness to access such services.…”

Care home managers' views on the media coverage of COVID‐19 outbreaks in care homes for older adults: A case study in Stockholm

“…An American study has reported similar trends in the United States. Their study shows that the increase in numbers of infected and dead older adults in care homes was followed by a dramatic rise in both the volume of articles and the number of prominently placed articles with a negative tone about care homes (Miller et al, 2021 ). In their study, the researchers analysed articles from four of the most widely circulated newspapers in the United States: The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times, from September 2018 to June 2020.…”

“It’s Pure Panic”: The Portrayal of Residential Care in American Newspapers During COVID-19

“…For example, the Reframing Aging Initiative identifies the public's cultural models of aging and older adults to learn how to better guide public conversation, informing policy and practice (Lindland et al, 2015;Sweetland et al, 2017). Journalistic discourse is powerful in its ability to shape cultural models and issue agendas (Richardson, 2007); the recent increase in high-visibility news coverage of residential care (Miller et al, 2020), therefore, will impact future common knowledge about older adults and residential care. The aim of this study was to understand how residential care has been depicted in American newspapers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.…”