Reporting on Health to Ethnic Populations: A Content Analysis of Local Health News in Ethnic Versus Mainstream Newspapers

Abstract

Ethnic newspapers seek to provide local news not provided by other media, yet few studies have compared local health news in ethnic versus mainstream newspapers. Local health news in ethnic newspapers could decrease health disparities among ethnic communities who are at higher risk for certain chronic illnesses and diseases. Localized story elements could inform ethnic audiences and broaden the discussion about local health issues, shedding light on priorities of ethnic media in providing relevant health information to their communities. This research compares local health news in ethnic (Black/Hispanic) versus mainstream (large/daily) newspapers and examines 3 localized story elements: local sources, localized statistics, and localized information. Results from the content analysis showed no differences in localized health news coverage for ethnic versus mainstream newspapers except the number of local health news stories and health stories with localized health information were higher in Hispanic and lower in Black as compared to mainstream newspapers. Findings suggest that ethnic newspapers are missing an opportunity to provide local health news that would differentiate them from competitors, attract advertisers, and improve health knowledge of ethnic readers.

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