Television news' coverage of motor-vehicle crashes.
OBJECTIVE
Traffic crashes are a major cause of injury and death. Although it has been argued that a skewed estimation of personal risks may be partly attributable to news representations of mortality causes, the manners in which traffic crashes are covered in the news have not received much attention in the literature.


METHODS
The current study used content analysis to examine the framing of traffic crashes in television news.


RESULTS
The data indicated that Flemish television news does not report traffic crashes from a public health perspective and consequently it misses opportunities to inform the public on the causes and consequences of risk-taking in traffic.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important that professionals are aware of these findings and stress contextual factors surrounding traffic crashes in their communication with journalists. This may lead to more accurate reports and a more accurate risk perception of viewers.
Beullens
Kathleen
K
Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Kathleen.Beullens@soc.kuleuven.be
Roe
Keith
K
Van den Bulck
Jan
J
D022126:Access to Information; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001530:Belgium; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*