Government
Health is 8th-most-reported topic
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 15, 2008
A study of media coverage from January 2007 through June 2008 found that health care stories accounted for 3.6% of all reports, making it the eighth-most-covered issue. The results are based on the coverage of 48 news outlets, including small- to large-market newspapers, network and cable TV news programs, talk radio, and online news.
News outlets more frequently covered campaigns and elections (21.3% of all reports), U.S. foreign affairs (13.6%), foreign news (11%), crime (6.6%), government and legislatures (5.3%), the economy (5%), and disasters and accidents (4.2%). The analysis, by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, also found that network news shows were the most likely to offer health care stories -- 8.3% of their pieces focused on health care, with an emphasis on specific ailments, such as heart disease or cancer.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/15/gvbf1215.htm.












