[A disease of the distant past: information about poliomyelitis and post- poliomyelitis syndrome in the Spanish/Portuguese press, 1995-2009].
The change in the social perception of poliomyelitis in the Iberian Peninsula through content analysis of two large-circulation newspapers between 1995 and 2009 is examined. The disappearance from the journalistic agenda of poliomyelitis and people living with the after-effects of the disease led it to be excluded from the public agenda. Poliomyelitis was associated with poverty and ignorance in distant countries that were susceptible to cooperation activities and only came to public attention when it was perceived as a threat to the West, linked to health crises or in a metaphorical sense. Thus, post-poliomyelitis syndrome was barely visible in the Portuguese case and poorly represented in Spain by association.
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, ES, jarshm@usal.es.
Juan Antonio Rodríguez
JA
Sánchez
Centro de Estudos de Língua, Comunicação e Cultura, Instituto Superior da Maia, Avioso S. Pedro, PT, iguerra@maieutica.ismai.pt.
Inês Guerra
IG
Santos
D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000266:history*; D011174:Portugal; D016262:Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome / Q000266:history*; D013030:Spain