A content analysis of the UK press response to the diagnosis of Ebola in a British healthcare worker
- PMID: 27679661
- DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdw105
A content analysis of the UK press response to the diagnosis of Ebola in a British healthcare worker
Abstract
Background: The Ebola epidemic led to considerable media attention, which may influence public risk perception. Therefore, this study analysed the UK press response following diagnosis of a British healthcare worker (HCW) with Ebola.
Methods: Using the Nexis database, the frequency of Ebola-related articles in UK national newspaper articles was mapped. This was followed by a content analysis of Ebola-related articles in the four newspapers with highest UK net readership from November 2014 to February 2015.
Results: During the 16-week study period, 1349 articles were found. The day with the highest number of Ebola-related articles was 31 December 2014, the day after the diagnosis of Ebola in a UK HCW. Seventy-seven articles were included in the content analysis. Content analysis demonstrated a shift from West African to UK-focused articles, increased discussion of border control, UK policy decisions and criticism, and an increased number of articles with a reassuring/threatening message.
Conclusions: UK press coverage of Ebola increased following a HCW's diagnosis, particularly regarding discussion of screening measures. This is likely to have increased risk perception of Ebola in the UK population and may have contributed to subsequent strengthening of UK screening policy beyond World Health Organisation requirements.
Keywords: Ebola; content analysis; media.
© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
Similar articles
-
Representations of far-flung illnesses: the case of Ebola in Britain.Soc Sci Med. 2002 Mar;54(6):955-69. doi: 10.1016/s0277-9536(01)00068-5. Soc Sci Med. 2002. PMID: 11996028
-
Identifying the scope of ethical challenges caused by the Ebola epidemic 2014-2016 in West Africa: a qualitative study.Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 2022 Dec 28;17(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s13010-022-00128-y. Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 2022. PMID: 36575529 Free PMC article.
-
News media coverage of U.S. Ebola policies: Implications for communication during future infectious disease threats.Prev Med. 2016 Dec;93:115-120. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.09.016. Epub 2016 Sep 21. Prev Med. 2016. PMID: 27664539
-
Management of Ebola Virus Disease in Children.Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2018 Mar;32(1):201-214. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2017.10.010. Epub 2017 Dec 18. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2018. PMID: 29269191 Review.
-
Role of contact tracing in containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak: a review.Afr Health Sci. 2017 Mar;17(1):225-236. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v17i1.28. Afr Health Sci. 2017. PMID: 29026397 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
The Potential of Specialized Media in Public Health: Analysis of Health-Related Content in Sports Newspapers.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Apr 3;16(7):1202. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16071202. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019. PMID: 30987152 Free PMC article.
-
Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding Ebola disease in healthcare workers from a tertiary care hospital in Romania.Public Health. 2018 Nov;164:7-15. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.07.002. Epub 2018 Aug 24. Public Health. 2018. PMID: 30149186 Free PMC article.
-
National survey of Ebola-related knowledge, attitudes and practices before the outbreak peak in Sierra Leone: August 2014.BMJ Glob Health. 2017 Dec 4;2(4):e000285. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000285. eCollection 2017. BMJ Glob Health. 2017. PMID: 29259820 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
