Coverage of common cancer types in UK national newspapers: a content analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether recent newspaper coverage of the four most common cancer types relates to their relative burden and national awareness months, and to identify the subject focus during high-coverage periods.

Design

Content analysis using the Nexis newspaper article database.

Setting

UK 2011-2012.

Outcome measures

Annual number and ranking, monthly proportions and subject of articles on breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancers.

Results

9178 articles were identified during 2011 and 2012 featuring breast (4237), prostate (1757), lung (1746) and bowel (1438) cancer. Peaks in monthly proportions above the 99% upper confidence limit were identified for each. Breast cancer had the highest coverage of 12% and 17% during its awareness month. Smaller

SUBMITTER: Konfortion J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4120380 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature