Taking into account that a key determinant in public approval of vaccinations is how the media constructs and frames messages about vaccination programmes, our aim is to review communication studies exploring media coverage of vaccines within traditional media venues.
Methods:
Using a registered protocol (PROSPERO: 42017072849), a systematic review was conducted that searched in three international electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and the International Bibliography of Social Science) for articles published between 2007 and 2017 following content-analysis methods. The characteristics and outcomes were systematically identified and described. The search yielded 24 eligible studies that were further analysed in the review.
Results:
Media coverage of vaccines has been largely studied during the last decade. Findings revealed that 62% (n = 15) of studies analysed the human papillomavirus vaccine, 87% (n = 21) examined newspapers, and 62% (n = 15) examined North American media. In relation to media content analyses, 75% found negative messages on vaccines and 83% identified a lack of accurate information.
Conclusions:
This systematic review suggests an agenda for further research. There is a significant need to analyse other types of traditional media beyond newspapers. Future studies should focus on other geographical areas such as low-income countries and on analysing visual materials and digital media. We found that negative messages and inaccurate information are common in media coverage on vaccines; therefore, further research focusing on these topics is needed. Officials in public health organizations should develop a close collaboration with the media to improve public communication on vaccines.
CasciottiDMSmithKCTsuiAet al. Discussions of adolescent sexuality in news media coverage of the HPV vaccine. J Adolescence2014;37(2):133–43.
2.
LevitanM. Medical journalism in Canada: what audiences learn from public health coverage. Int J Humanit2011;9(6):87–96.
3.
Catalán-MatamorosD. El gran avance del ámbito científico y académico de la comunicación en salud [The great development of the scientific and academic field of health communication]. Rev Esp Comun En Salud2017;8(2):114.
4.
KennedyALaVailKNowakGet al. Confidence about vaccines in the United States: understanding parents’ perceptions. Health Aff2011;30(6):1151–9.
TaylorB. Vaccines and the changing epidemiology of autism. Child Care Health Dev2006;32(5):511–9.
8.
ClarkeCEDixonGNHoltonAet al. Including ‘evidentiary balance’ in news media coverage of vaccine risk. Health Commun2015;30(5):461–72.
9.
BoyceT. Journalism and expertise. Journalism Stud2006;7(6):889–906.
10.
HiltonSHuntKLanganMet al. Newsprint media representations of the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme for cervical cancer prevention in the UK (2005–2008). Soc Sci Med2010;70(6):942–50.
11.
TullochJCZinnJO. Risk, health and the media. Health Risk Soc2011;13(1):1–16.
12.
VesaJvan HeckE. Factors in adopting multi-access technologies in online consumer auction markets in Finland. Eur Manag J2005;23(2):182–94.
13.
LalazaryanARahimiAZare-FarashbandiFet al. How health information is received by diabetic patients?Adv Biomed Res2015;4(1):126.
BelchGBelchM. The role of new and traditional media in the rapidly changing marketing communications environment. Int J Strateg Innov Mark2014;1:130–6.
16.
Statista. Number of readers. The Statistics Portal. Available online at: www.statista.com (2017, last accessed 21st April 2018).
MacnamaraJ. Media content analysis: its uses, benefits and best practice methodology. Asia Pac Public Relat J2005;6(1):1–34.
23.
KellyBJLeaderAEMittermaierDJet al. The HPV vaccine and the media: how has the topic been covered and what are the effects on knowledge about the virus and cervical cancer?Patient Educ Couns2009; 77(2):308–13.
24.
HoltonAWeberlingBClarkeCEet al. The blame frame: media attribution of culpability about the MMR–Autism vaccination scare. Health Commun2012;27(7):690–701.
25.
AbdelmuttiNHoffman-GoetzL. Risk messages about HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine Gardasil in North American news magazines. J Cancer Educ2010;25(3):451–6.
26.
CasciottiDMSmithKCKlassenAC. Topics associated with conflict in print news coverage of the HPV vaccine during 2005 to 2009. Hum Vacc Immunother2014;10(12):3466–74.
27.
CasciottiDMSmithKCAndonLet al. Print news coverage of school-based human papillomavirus vaccine mandates. J Sch Health2014;84(2):71–81.
28.
ClarkeCE. A case of conflicting norms? Mobilizing and accountability information in newspaper coverage of the autism-vaccine controversy. Public Underst Sci2011;20(5):609–26.
29.
Goodyear-SmithFPetousis-HarrisHVanlaarCet al. Immunization in the print media – perspectives presented by the press. J Health Commun2007;12(8):759–70.
30.
GuillaumeLBathPA. A content analysis of mass media sources in relation to the MMR vaccine scare. Health Inform J2008;14(4):323–34.
31.
HussainHOmerSBManganelloJAet al. Immunization safety in US print media, 1995–2005. Pediatrics2011;127:S100–6.
32.
MeyerSBLuSKHoffman-GoetzLet al. A content analysis of newspaper coverage of the seasonal flu vaccine in Ontario, Canada, October 2001 to March 2011. J Health Commun2016;21(10):1088–97.
33.
OlufowoteJO. Local resistance to the global eradication of polio: newspaper coverage of the 2003–2004 vaccination stoppage in Northern Nigeria. Health Commun2011;26(8):743–53.
34.
PentaMABabanA. Mass media coverage of HPV vaccination in Romania: a content analysis. Health Educ Res2014;29(6):977–92.
35.
PerezSFedorukCShapiroGKet al. Giving boys a shot: the HPV vaccine’s portrayal in Canadian newspapers. Health Commun2016;31(12):1527–38.
36.
Petousis-HarrisHAGoodyear-SmithFAKameshwarKet al. Fact or fallacy? Immunisation arguments in the New Zealand print media. Aust NZ J Publ Heal2010;34(5):521–6.
37.
Quintero JohnsonJSioneanCScottAM. Exploring the presentation of news information about the HPV vaccine: a content analysis of a representative sample of U.S. newspaper articles. Health Commun2011;26(6):491–501.
38.
RachulCMRiesNMCaulfieldT. Canadian newspaper coverage of the A/H1N1 vaccine program. Can J Public Health/Rev Can Sante Publique2011;102(3):200–3.
39.
TsudaKYamamotoKLeppoldCet al. Trends of media coverage on human papillomavirus vaccination in Japanese newspapers. Clin Infect Dis2016;63(12):1634–8.
40.
KrakowMRogersB. Collateral damage and critical turning points: public health implications of HPV vaccine news coverage for boys and men in 2011. Health Commun2016;31(9):1081–8.
MuulaAS. Medical journals and authorship in low-income countries. Croat Med J2008;49(5):681–3.
43.
MarusićASambunjakDMarusićM. Journal quality and visibility: is there a way out of the scientific periphery?Prilozi2006;27(1):151–61.
44.
MintzesBMorganSWrightJM. Twelve years’ experience with direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs in Canada: a cautionary tale. PLoS ONE2009;4(5):e5699.
45.
ByarugabaD. Antimicrobial resistance in developing countries and responsible risk factors. Int J Antimicrob Ag2004;24(2):105–10.
46.
GollustSELoRussoSMNaglerRHet al. Understanding the role of the news media in HPV vaccine uptake in the United States: synthesis and commentary. Hum Vacc Immunother2016;12(6):1430–4.
47.
TeixeiraRCarliniMJatoba-e-SousaAet al. Reporting on health-related research in two prestigious Brazilian newspapers. Clinics2012;67(3):261–4.
VastermanPYzermansCJDirkzwagerAJE. The role of the media and media hypes in the aftermath of disasters. Epidemiol Rev2005;27(1):107–14.
50.
LeaskJChapmanS. ‘The cold hard facts’ immunisation and vaccine preventable diseases in Australia’s newsprint media 1993–1998. Soc Sci Med2002;54(3):445–57.
51.
KarlssonMClerwallCNordL. Do not stand corrected: transparency and users’ attitudes to inaccurate news and corrections in online journalism. J Mass Commun Q2017;94(1):148–67.
GaneshkumarPGopalakrishnanS. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis: understanding the best evidence in primary healthcare. J Fam Med Prim Care2013;2(1):9.
54.
Moreda SánchezEMMartínez PastorEVizcaíno PérezR. Comunicación Institucional Intercultural para la Salud: desarrollo durante la primera década del siglo XXI. Rev Esp Comun EN SALUD2017;8(1):54.
55.
Calleja-ReinaMADíaz CerveróEVázquez BarrioT. Dengue en Corrientes (Argentina): Estrategia de comunicación en Twitter durante el brote de 2016 = Dengue fever in Corrientes (Argentina): Communication strategy in Twitter during the outbreak of 2016. Rev Esp Comun EN SALUD2017;8(2):118.
56.
LongestBBRohrerWM. Communication between public health agencies and their external stakeholders. J Health Hum Serv Adm2005;28(2):189–217.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
