title: A Descriptive Study of Television News Coverage of Tobacco in the United States: Frequency of Topics, Frames, Exemplars, and Efficacy.
abstract: There is a positive correlation between recall of tobacco-related television news and perceived risks of smoking and thoughts about quitting. The authors used Cision US, Inc., to create a sampling frame (N = 61,027) of local and national television news coverage of tobacco from October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009, and to draw a nationally representative sample (N = 730) for content analysis. The authors conducted a descriptive study to determine the frequency and proportion of stories containing specified tobacco topics, frames, sources, and action messages, and the valence of the coverage. Valence was generally neutral; 68% of stories took a balanced stance, with 26% having a tenor supportive of tobacco control and 6% opposing tobacco control. The most frequently covered topics included smoking bans (n = 195) and cessation (n = 156). The least covered topics included hookah (n = 1) and menthol (n = 0). The majority of coverage lacked quoting any source (n = 345); government officials (n = 144) were the most quoted sources. Coverage lacked action messages or resources; 29 stories (<4%) included a message about cessation or advocacy, and 8 stories (1%) contained a resource such as a quitline. Television news can be leveraged by health communication professionals to increase awareness of underrepresented topics in tobacco control.
authors.affiliation: a Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences , National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Kelly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: b Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences , National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Annette R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: c College of Public Health , University of South Florida , Tampa , Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: b Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences , National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Erik M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Augustson
mesh_terms: D058015:Health Communication; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014026:Nicotiana