Analysis of Media Coverage on Breastfeeding Policy in Washington State

Racializing Motherhood and Maternity Care in News Representations of Breastfeeding

Racial inequalities in breastfeeding have been a U.S. national concern, prompting health science research and public discourse. Social science research reveals structural causes, including racism in labor conditions, maternity care practices, and lactation support. Yet research shows that popular and health science discourses disproportionately focus on individual and community factors, blaming Black women and communities for unequal breastfeeding rates. This study examines how scientific reports are communicated to the public through a critical analysis of 104 U.S. news articles reporting research on racial disparities in breastfeeding. Findings show that articles acknowledge unequal treatment within maternity care but justify it by presenting Black patients as overburdening the maternity care systems they use due to low socioeconomic status, welfare dependency, poor family support, and poor health. Through these representations, articles co-construct racialized motherhood and maternity care systems in ways that hide manifestations of obstetric racism and combat social support for systemic change.

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

OBJECTIVE

Media framing of nutrition policy issues has been said to play a critical role in influencing public and political support for these issues. We examined the coverage of nutrition policy issues in the Australian news media to determine the key frames and expert sources used by the media.

METHODS

News articles published in Australia between 2008 and 2018 were retrieved from key media databases. Content analysis was used to identify nutrition policy issues reported and expert sources used. Frames were identified using a theoretical framework.

RESULTS

Seven nutrition policy categories were identified. Expert sources included representatives from public health, food industry and politicians. Six dominant frames were identified: government responsibility, industry responsibility, societal frame, individual responsibility, parental responsibility and nanny state frame. Nutrition experts tended to use thematic frames while government and food industry sources used episodic frames to deflect responsibility onto individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite high media representation of thematic frames and government responsibility in addressing nutrition policy issues, limited regulatory policy action has occurred in Australia. Implications for public health: Further research is needed to better understand different frames and their effectiveness in influencing public and political opinion. Greater coherence amongst health advocates would be beneficial to ensure a collective, recognised voice on issues.

Depiction of Breastfeeding in Newspapers in the United States: 2007-2016

Introduction: Depictions of infant feeding practices in the media influence public attitudes toward breastfeeding and breastfeeding behaviors. Understanding how breastfeeding is represented in the media can provide insights into breastfeeding experiences and outcomes. This study describes trends in breastfeeding portrayals in the United States newsprint media between 2007 and 2016. Methods: We conducted a retrospective content analysis of 452 newspaper articles identified from the Nexis Uni database. Articles were coded for tone toward breastfeeding (supporting, neutral, or opposing), message frame, and region (Midwest, South, West, Northeast). We frequency weighted articles by publication circulation to account for differences in readership volume. Results: Findings indicate that breastfeeding has been positively portrayed and increasingly discussed. Among the four regions, the South had the most supportive tones, while the Midwest had the most opposing tones. The topics of Health Benefits and Breastfeeding Support and Resources received the most coverage. Positive portrayals surrounding Workplace/University Issues are increasing, while negative portrayals surrounding Indecent Exposure are decreasing. Conclusion: Positive portrayals of breastfeeding in newspapers may signify increased support for breastfeeding as a normal practice. Future research is needed to better understand the direct and indirect impact of newsprint messages on breastfeeding in the United States.

Content analysis of media coverage of breastfeeding in Mexico

Media can be a powerful communication tool to promote breastfeeding programs, influence mother's breastfeeding behaviour, and generate support among stakeholders for breastfeeding. Yet, there is little information on how media coverage influences a country's breastfeeding enabling environment. This study addressed this gap by conducting a retrospective content analysis of documents published between January 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018 to analyse the media coverage related to breastfeeding in Mexico. Content analysis was based on the breastfeeding gear model and a strategic planning technique to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for enabling the national breastfeeding environment. Media coverage of breastfeeding was more frequent in August (36% of all documents). The top three topics commonly covered by the media were advocacy events promoting breastfeeding, promotion campaigns, and changes in breastfeeding legislation and policy. In general, the media coverage focused on strengths of specific breastfeeding policies. There was limited news coverage of key factors that negatively influenced or threatened the breastfeeding environment. Findings support the need to design strategies to engage the media covering in more depth and breadth diverse aspects of breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support efforts in Mexico.