CONTENT ANALYSIS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS OF BREAST CANCER NEWS BREAST CANCER NEWS

COVERAGECOVERAGE

Sandi Smith and Charles AtkinSandi Smith and Charles Atkin

Department of CommunicationDepartment of Communication

Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University

National News Coverage National News Coverage

Leading newspapersLeading newspapers

TV network newscastsTV network newscasts

NewsmagazinesNewsmagazines

Breast cancer risk information Breast cancer risk information

available to the public in the news available to the public in the news mediamedia

NEWSPAPERSNEWSPAPERS(stories per year)(stories per year)

50 50 USA TodayUSA Today “America’s “America’s newspaper”newspaper”

5050 LOS ANGELES TIMES LOS ANGELES TIMES

2020 NEW YORK TIMES NEW YORK TIMES

EVENING NEWSCASTSEVENING NEWSCASTS

1010 ABC ABC -- Peter Jennings -- Peter Jennings

88 CBS CBS -- Dan Rather -- Dan Rather

66 NBC NBC -- Tom Brokaw -- Tom Brokaw

NEWSMAGAZINESNEWSMAGAZINES

1010 TIME TIME

88 NEWSWEEK NEWSWEEK

66 US NEWS US NEWS

RELATIVE EMPHASIS

• Treatment • Awareness

• Risks• Prevention• Detection• Prevalence

TOP STORIES 2003-04

• 3/04 HRT study discontinued

• 8/03 British HRT report: E&PBC

• 6/03 JAMA HRT report: E&PBC

OTHER TOP STORIES 03-04

• LETROZOLE effective as follow-up

• ASPIRIN reduces BC risk

• ANTIBIOTICS increase BC risk

• BRCA genes increase BC risk

• MAMMOGRAM provider shortage

Broad but Brief

Under-represented topics

RISKS:

• Diet - Obesity – Inactivity

• Pesticides

• Other Environ Contaminants (esp. localized and occupational)

Under-represented topics

PREVENTION:

• Weight loss - Exercise

• Protective parental actions

• Collective policy initiatives

Under-represented

DETECTION• Importance of early detection• Recommended mammogram age

PREVALENCE (as main theme)

COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW