1
|
Schmid AT, Veldhouse A, Payam S. A press(ing) issue: analysing local news coverage of abortion in the US South during the COVID-19 pandemic. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2023; 25:1515-1529. [PMID: 36633510 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2022.2164064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some US state governments banned abortion due to its allegedly 'elective' nature. While these actions were successfully challenged in courts, discussion about the topic may have shaped personal and public opinion. This study aimed to explore the framing of abortion in local newspapers during the onset of the pandemic. Articles regarding abortion were collected from three top circulated local online news publications from three southern US states. Of the states that attempted to block abortions, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi were selected for their high non-White populations. Using critical thematic analysis, 77 articles were analysed, and four themes were identified: individual-centric, public health risk, interplay with inequalities, and hierarchical health care. Existing abortion narratives were taken up by different sides of the debate to push political agendas. However, new pro-/anti-abortion justifications were observed, specifically regarding public health concerns during COVID-19. Anti-abortion activists framed abortion provision as a health risk and employed other narratives that likely reinforced gendered, ethnic and socioeconomic power disparities by shifting blame onto abortion seekers and providers. However, pro-choice supporters framed abortion as essential health care and as a structural issue, which may have bolstered awareness for structural change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Theresa Schmid
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Avery Veldhouse
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Shahin Payam
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Busam B, Solomon-Moore E. Public Understanding of Childhood Obesity: Qualitative Analysis of News Articles and Comments on Facebook. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:967-980. [PMID: 34605342 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.1985859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Childhood obesity has become a major focus of public health and subject to increased news coverage. News can shape public understanding of childhood obesity by selective reporting (framing) which can affect policy support and weight stigma. As news is consumed on social media, comments on articles present a novel method to explore public understanding. This study examined how childhood obesity is framed by news articles on Facebook and how individuals commenting understand and react to these articles. This study used a qualitative research design. Facebook pages of 11 national UK news outlets were searched for news articles on childhood obesity published between May 2015 and May 2020. Of those, 30 articles were randomly selected. Framing analysis was used to determine whether childhood obesity was portrayed as a behavioral, societal or medical issue. Responding comments (N = 1,104) were grouped according to the dominant frame of the corresponding article and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Of the 30 articles, 28 mentioned societal, 26 behavioral and 18 medical aspects of childhood obesity, highlighting that most articles included more than one frame. Three themes were generated from responding comments: Culprits and Remedies, Appraising Childhood Obesity and Making Sense of the News Article. Findings showed that comments related to Appraising Childhood Obesity differed between differently framed articles, while the other themes did not. This study highlights the need for improved communication on childhood obesity to address weight stigma and improve understanding of news articles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Betty Busam
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath
- Department of Psychology, University of Heidelberg
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Horwood G, Augoustinos M, Due C. “It’s important to manage our stress”: Mental health advice in the Australian print news media during the COVID-19 pandemic. SSM - MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 3:100204. [PMID: 36974336 PMCID: PMC10029348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened existing concerns about mental health and illness in Australia. The news media is an important source of health information, but there has been little research into how advice about mental health is communicated to the public via the news media. In this study, we examined how advice about building and maintaining mental health was discursively constructed in the news media during the COVID-19 pandemic. A discourse analytic approach informed by critical discursive psychology was employed to analyse 436 articles published in daily newspapers in Australia between 1 January and 31 December 2020, which contained references to mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Three main interpretative repertoires were identified – negative emotions are a risk to mental health and must be managed; risky emotions should be managed by being controlled (based around a ‘border control’ metaphor); and risky emotions should be managed by being released (based around a ‘pressure cooker’ metaphor). This study demonstrates that, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, advice constructed negative emotions as risky and problematic; and normalized the habitual management of emotions by individuals through strategies of control and release. Potential implications of such discourses for goals of improving population mental health are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Horwood
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Martha Augoustinos
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Clemence Due
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Horwood G, Augoustinos M, Due C. ‘Mental Wealth’ and ‘Mental Fitness’: The discursive construction of mental health in the Australian news media during the
COVID
‐19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/casp.2664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Horwood
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Martha Augoustinos
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Clemence Due
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Booth A, Blake D. Assisted dying in the Aotearoa New Zealand media: a critical discourse analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13576275.2020.1823355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Booth
- School of Psychology, Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Denise Blake
- School of Psychology, Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
This article explores the potential of complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory to inform behaviour change research. A CAS describes a collection of heterogeneous agents interacting within a particular context, adapting to each other's actions. In practical terms, this implies that behaviour change is (1) socially and culturally situated; (2) highly sensitive to small baseline differences in individuals, groups, and intervention components; and (3) determined by multiple components interacting 'chaotically'. Two approaches to studying CAS are briefly reviewed. Agent-based modelling is a computer simulation technique that allows researchers to investigate 'what if' questions in a virtual environment. Applied qualitative research techniques, on the other hand, offer a way to examine what happens when an intervention is pursued in real-time, and to identify the sorts of rules and assumptions governing social action. Although these represent very different approaches to complexity, there may be scope for mixing these methods - for example, by grounding models in insights derived from qualitative fieldwork. Finally, I will argue that the concept of CAS offers one opportunity to gain a deepened understanding of health-related practices, and to examine the social psychological processes that produce health-promoting or damaging actions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Gomersall
- a Department of Psychology , University of Huddersfield , Huddersfield , UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Constructions of masculinity have shifted and changed but the central role of the penis has remained firm. Yet, despite the implications for sexual health, there has been very little research on discourses around penises. The messages men receive about their manhood is apparent in articles in men’s magazines. We conducted a discursive analysis of the ways in which penises were discussed in four market leading UK titles: Loaded, Men’s Health, GQ and Attitude. Two broad discourses were identified, termed Laddish and Medicalised, both of which create fear-ridden spaces where men are bombarded with unachievable masculine ideals and traumatic examples of mutilated members. We discuss how health psychologists could use the findings to communicate with men about their sexual health needs using this channel.
Collapse
|
8
|
Hodgetts K, Crabb SH. ‘I cannot explain it. I knew it was wrong’: a public account of cigarette smoking in pregnancy. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2017.1359405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Hodgetts
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, Australia
| | - Shona Helen Crabb
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide , Adelaide, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dew K, Gardner J, Morrato EH, Norris P, Chamberlain K, Hodgetts D, Gabe J. Public engagement and the role of the media in post-marketing drug safety: the case of Eltroxin® (levothyroxine) in New Zealand. CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2017.1329520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dew
- School of Social and Cultural Studies, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington, New Zealand
| | - John Gardner
- School of Social Sciences, Monash University , Clayton, Australia
| | - Elaine H. Morrato
- Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Pauline Norris
- School of Pharmacy, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Darrin Hodgetts
- School of Psychology, Massey University , Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Gabe
- Criminology and Sociology, School of Law, Royal Holloway, University of London , Egham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gonsalves CA, McGannon KR, Schinke RJ, Pegoraro A. Mass media narratives of women’s cardiovascular disease: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Health Psychol Rev 2017; 11:164-178. [DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2017.1281750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kerry R. McGannon
- School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Robert J. Schinke
- School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Ann Pegoraro
- School of Human Kinetics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Cragg DNC, Mulgrew KE, Kannis-Dymand L. Can disclaimer labels or Dove Evolution commercial mitigate negative effects of thin-ideal exposure? J Health Psychol 2017; 24:918-928. [DOI: 10.1177/1359105317690037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the comparative effectiveness of the Dove Evolution commercial and disclaimer labels as media literacy interventions. Women ( N = 287) viewed thin-ideal images by themselves, preceded by the Dove Evolution commercial, or containing specific or generic disclaimer labels. Participants completed pre- and post-test measures of body satisfaction, post-test social comparison, and media literacy. Interventions were not effective in mitigating drops in body satisfaction, reducing social comparison, or increasing media literacy, despite women understanding their purpose. A 2-week follow-up showed no delayed effects on media literacy. None of these interventions were effective in counteracting the negative effects of media exposure in women.
Collapse
|
12
|
McGannon KR, Berry TR, Rodgers WM, Spence JC. Breast cancer representations in Canadian news media: a critical discourse analysis of meanings and the implications for identity. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2016.1145774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
13
|
Intergenerational inequity arguments and the implications for state-funded financial support of older people. AGEING & SOCIETY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x1500135x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTAs population demographics shift towards an older population structure in the Western world, concerns about the future costs of pensions are apparent in politics, media and everyday conversations. In New Zealand, the universal state-funded pension paid to all citizens over the age of 65 years is often considered to be unsustainable in the context of population ageing. To examine the arguments surrounding universal superannuation, rhetorical analysis was undertaken on two New Zealand newspaper articles that discussed the future cost of pensions, and the 233 public responses these articles generated. The cost of superannuation was used to emphasise the different characteristics of each generational cohort and the ways that this produced inequity across generations. Claims of intergenerational inequity generated antagonism and widened divisions between generational groups. Foregrounding generational inequity in the discussion of superannuation has profound implications for state-funded income support for older people which relies upon widespread public support. Intergenerational inequity ignores the significant inequity in health and social circumstances in retirement among older New Zealanders and overlooks the significant impact of universal superannuation on protecting older New Zealanders from poverty in later life.
Collapse
|
14
|
Campbell C, Cornish F. Reimagining community health psychology: maps, journeys and new terrains. J Health Psychol 2013; 19:3-15. [PMID: 24000383 DOI: 10.1177/1359105313500263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This special issue celebrates and maps out the 'coming of age' of community health psychology, demonstrating its confident and productive expansion beyond its roots in the theory and practice of small-scale collective action in local settings. Articles demonstrate the field's engagement with the growing complexity of local and global inequalities, contemporary forms of collective social protest and developments in critical social science. These open up novel problem spaces for the application and extension of its theories and methods, deepening our understandings of power, identity, community, knowledge and social change - in the context of evolving understandings of the spatial, embodied, relational, collaborative and historical dimensions of health.
Collapse
|
15
|
Chang DS, Kang OS, Kim HH, Kim HS, Lee H, Park HJ, Kim H, Chae Y. Pre-existing beliefs and expectations influence judgments of novel health information. J Health Psychol 2011; 17:753-63. [PMID: 21997377 DOI: 10.1177/1359105311421044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined whether health information is judged differently depending on pre-existing beliefs and expectations. People's initial beliefs and expectations were assessed by a questionnaire about acupuncture and a trustworthiness and preference rating task of doctors' faces. Then, newspaper headlines about novel acupuncture treatment were shown and rated for their feasibility in a normal and framed condition. The judged feasibility of the newspaper headlines correlated strongly with initial beliefs about acupuncture in the normal condition, and with initial expectations towards a doctor's face in the framed condition. Thus, as suggested by Bayes Theorem, pre-existing beliefs and expectations influence judgments of novel health information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Seon Chang
- Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Is it time to change the stereotype of cancer: the expert view. Cancer Causes Control 2010; 22:135-40. [DOI: 10.1007/s10552-010-9683-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
17
|
Strand C. Factors associated with high media coverage of the HIV epidemic in Lesotho. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AIDS RESEARCH : AJAR 2010; 9:225-233. [PMID: 25860627 DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2010.530174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Regional studies show that Lesotho outperforms other countries in southern Africa in terms of awarding coverage to HIV and AIDS. Through qualitative interviews, this study examines the motivations, experiences, and perceived challenges among media workers, which could explain the high coverage. While a high level of personal commitment seems to be the outcome of interrelated factors-such as media workers' personal experience of the country's high HIV prevalence and high mortality rate-Lesotho's political leadership and various government initiatives, notably the unique 'Know Your Status' campaign, were singled out as a key factor behind the high coverage. Moreover, journalists and editors are often consciously exploiting the mass media's potential agenda-setting function in order to raise attention to HIV and AIDS. Although covering the HIV epidemic has become significantly easier in Lesotho because of government efforts, government and public officials are simultaneously identified as the main obstacle to more comprehensive coverage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Strand
- a Uppsala University , Department of Informatics and Media Science , PO Box 513, S-75120 , Uppsala , Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
In a previous article, I called for an open discussion and debate on health psychology perspectives on social and political issues relevant to health, in particular the issue concerning racism and the media (Estacio, 2009). In this article, I raise three topics for discussion which the controversial BBC 'Harry and Paul' sketch (un)intentionally exposed to the public domain: (1) racist humour, the media and health; (2) human rights abuses against domestic workers; and (3) third world poverty and labour migration. Its implications on health psychology theory, research and practice are also explored.
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
The BBC comedy show ;Harry and Paul' sparked media controversy in the UK and around the world for inciting stereotyped racial discrimination, vulgarity and violation of human rights when it portrayed a Filipino domestic worker as a sex toy in Episode 4 of the series. This incident raises the issue concerning the media's role in framing social issues and how it affects the wider determinants of health. There is a need for health psychology as an academic discipline to engage more in these issues. The Journal of Health Psychology provides a unique platform for discussion and debate of perspectives on racism, the media and health.
Collapse
|
20
|
Santiago-Delfosse M, Chamberlain K. Évolution des idées en psychologie de la santé dans le monde anglo-saxon. De la psychologie de la santé (health psychology) à la psychologie critique de la santé (critical health psychology). PSYCHOLOGIE FRANCAISE 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.psfr.2008.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
21
|
Chamberlain K, Hodgetts D. Social Psychology and Media: Critical Considerations. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008.00102.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
22
|
Hodgetts D, Chamberlain K, Scammell M, Karapu R, Waimarie Nikora L. Constructing health news: possibilities for a civic-oriented journalism. Health (London) 2008; 12:43-66. [DOI: 10.1177/1363459307083697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Health is a very prominent news category. However, we know little about the production processes of journalists leading to the health stories we encounter on a daily basis. Such knowledge is crucial for ensuring a vibrant public sphere for health. This article draws on interviews with eight health journalists in New Zealand to document what they consider to constitute a health story, their professional norms and practices, their perceptions of audiences, and the need for increased civic deliberations regarding health. Journalists privilege biomedical stories involving lifestyle and individual responsibility, and have limited frames for presenting stories that involve socio-political concerns. Stories are strongly shaped by journalists' considerations of their target audience, the sources they draw on, their professional norms, and institutional practices. This results in the omission of stories that have relevance for minority and disadvantaged groups and limits the nature of the stories told to ones that reflect the views of the majority. However, journalists are also reflective about these issues and receptive to ways to overcome them. This raises possibilities for health researchers to engage with journalists in order to repoliticise health and promote a more civic-oriented form of health journalism.
Collapse
|
23
|
Barnett A, Hodgetts D, Nikora L, Chamberlain K, Karapu R. Child poverty and government policy: the contesting of symbolic power in newspaper constructions of families in need. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2007. [DOI: 10.1002/casp.933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|