Zimmermann, Bettina M; Paul, Katharina T; Janny, Anna; Butt, Zarah (2023). Between information campaign and controversy: a quantitative newspaper content analysis about COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland and Austria. (In Press). Scandinavian journal of public health(14034948231195388), p. 14034948231195388. Sage 10.1177/14034948231195388
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Because media portrayal reflects and shapes public opinion and health policy, investigating news coverage of public health issues is highly relevant for public health research and practice. Addressing a topical issue, this study investigated how newspaper coverage framed COVID-19 vaccines in Austria and German-speaking Switzerland and how it developed over time.
METHODS
A quantitative newspaper content analysis of six newspapers from Austria and German-speaking Switzerland published between January 1 and 31, 2022 was conducted. Frames were identified for each country separately through hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) based on frame elements.
RESULTS
Four frames were identified in both countries: (1) Evaluating new vaccines, (2) Discussing mandates, (3) Promoting vaccination, (4) Mentioning vaccines. In Frames 1 (Switzerland 86.4%, Austria 93.3%) and 3 (Switzerland 92.7%, Austria 98.9%), most articles included vaccine-endorsing statements, with Swiss coverage including additional negative statements more often than Austrian coverage (43.2%/44.6% vs 4.0%/3.3%). Frame 2 was closely linked to vaccine skepticism only in Austria and contained more evaluative statements in Austrian newspapers (25.4% endorsing, 35.4% rejecting; in Switzerland 14.5%/18.1%). The Austrian tabloid Kronen Zeitung published most articles (497/1091, 45.6%).
CONCLUSIONS
The commercialized and comparatively high share of tabloid news coverage in Austria may have contributed to oversimplified and polarizing COVID-19 vaccine debates in this context. Insufficiently balanced and adequate information may contribute to a loss of public trust in vaccination and may therefore affect vaccination uptake. Authorities and public health professionals should consider this effect when designing information campaigns.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
|---|---|
Division/Institute: |
06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Philosophy |
UniBE Contributor: |
Zimmermann, Bettina Maria |
Subjects: |
100 Philosophy |
ISSN: |
1403-4948 |
Publisher: |
Sage |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Pubmed Import |
Date Deposited: |
31 Aug 2023 08:31 |
Last Modified: |
01 Sep 2023 00:19 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.1177/14034948231195388 |
PubMed ID: |
37646484 |
Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Austria COVID-19 Switzerland content analysis frame analysis print media public debate vaccination |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/185925 |
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