When Pictures Waste a Thousand Words: Analysis of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic on Television News

Abstract

ObjectivesEffective communication by public health agencies during a pandemic promotes the adoption of recommended health behaviours. However, more information is not always the solution. Rather, attention must be paid to how information is communicated. Our study examines the television news, which combines video and audio content. We analyse (1) the content of television news about the H1N1 pandemic and vaccination campaign in Alberta, Canada; (2) the extent to which television news content conveyed key public health agency messages; (3) the extent of discrepancies in audio versus visual content.MethodsWe searched for “swine flu” and “H1N1” in local English news broadcasts from the CTV online video archive. We coded the audio and visual content of 47 news clips during the peak period of coverage from April to November 2009 and identified discrepancies between audio and visual content.ResultsThe dominant themes on CTV news were the vaccination rollout, vaccine shortages, long line-ups (queues) at vaccination clinics and defensive responses by public health officials. There were discrepancies in the priority groups identified by the provincial health agency (Alberta Health and Wellness) and television news coverage as well as discrepancies between audio and visual content of news clips. Public health officials were presented in official settings rather than as public health practitioners.ConclusionThe news footage did not match the main public health messages about risk levels and priority groups. Public health agencies lost control of their message as the media focused on failures in the rollout of the vaccination campaign. Spokespeople can enhance their local credibility by emphasizing their role as public health practitioners. Public health agencies need to learn from the H1N1 pandemic so that future television communications do not add to public confusion, demonstrate bureaucratic ineffectiveness and contribute to low vaccination rates.

Innvandrerdriv eller middelklassedriv?

“…I mars 2013 la regjeringen Stoltenberg II fram en stortingsmelding om beredskap mot pandemisk influensa, basert på erfaringer fra pandemien i 2009 (Meld. St. 16 (2012-2013). …”

“…Internasjonalt finnes det relativt mye forskning på forløpet av og mediehåndteringen av H1N1-pandemien i 2009 (Pan og Meng 2016; Vasterman og Ruigrok 2013; Luth et al 2013;Hilton og Hunt 2011). Det finnes imidlertid bare en håndfull studier av det norske tilfellet.…”

Coronavirus Media Discourse and Current Situation (Qca for Different Responses to Combat Covid-19)

“…In the US, there were calls for Obama to close the border with Mexico "for the sake of saving the nation." Despite official evidence that swine flu is not transmitted with pig meat, pig farms were destroyed in Egypt, and many countries have imposed temporary restrictions on imports of American and Mexican pork (Luth, Jardine, and Bubela, 2013). This is also a kind of hysteria.…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Many news media outlets have been working with health professionals and the government to relay important information to the public. In the context of a pandemic, Luth, Jardine, and Bubela (2013), however, note that the type and amount of information that is being relayed to the public is not always necessary, nor does having a surplus amount of information about such events.…”

“…The volume of information was excessively high and the content was primarily related to the threats associated with the H1N1 influenza (Klemm, Das, and Hartmann, 2016). Similarly, other scholars have completed content analysis' on H1N1 television news content and the extent that appropriate health-related content was represented, finding that only a small fraction of the sample included important information pertaining to symptoms and preventative measures (Luth, Jardine, and Bubela, 2013). COVID-19 is currently prevailing while the present study is being completed, which means that news media is actively transmitting information to the public.…”