The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44858

Charlene Caburnay, MPH¹, Brooke L. Wackerman, MPH¹, Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH¹, Heather A. Jacobsen, MPH¹, Darigg C. Brown, BS¹, Vicki L. Collie¹, and Jyothi Priya Varanasi, BA². (1) Health Communication Research Laboratory, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-4028, caburnay@slu.edu, (2) Health Communications Research Lab, Saint Louis University, 3663 Lindell Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63108

Media advocacy is an intervention strategy that seeks to influence public debate by promoting effective methods for framing news stories from a public health approach. News value standards such as impact, relevance, timeliness, and innovation direct most story reporting and writing, of which the most important could be local relevance. We conducted an observational study to determine differences between locally-produced stories on diet, physical activity, and tobacco as reported in the local newspaper versus local television news broadcasts. Health stories were compared across media sources on the proportion of locally-produced stories, personal angle framing, dominant health topic, level of prevention, mobilization, and science mention. Results indicate that there are few differences between locally-produced television and newspaper health news stories. Both television and newspaper stories were infrequently locally-produced (15% vs. 13%), one in four television and newspaper stories was on tobacco (25% vs. 26%), less than 30% of stories provided ways in which individuals (22% vs. 27%) or communities (6% vs. 12%) could take action to better their health, and mention of research, data, or investigators was scant (<6% vs. <8%). However, locally-produced television stories were significantly more likely than newspaper to include a personal angle (50% vs. 26%, p<.025), but less likely to include a primary prevention focus (41% vs. 56%, p<.025). This presentation will discuss the implications of these findings and provide suggestions for health media advocates to promote health news among television and newspaper outlets that will be most interesting to the media and their audience members.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss implications of findings from an observational study to determine differences between locally-produced stories reported in the local newspaper versus local television news broadcasts.
• Describe how health media advocates can promote health news among television and newspaper outlets that will be most interesting to the media and their audience members.

Keywords: Media Advocacy, Health Advocacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.