Transparency in National Media Sources Over Time With Regards to the Discussion of Heart Disease
Open Access
Author:
Sheep, Caroline Elaine
Area of Honors:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jon F Nussbaum, Thesis Supervisor Lori Ann Bedell, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
heart disease transparency media analysis
Abstract:
The main purpose of this paper was to find out whether the transparency used to convey the topic of heart disease in national media sources changes over time. The concept of transparency is an important aspect of journalism, providing credibility to the journalist, and better informing the public of the topic at hand. Heart disease, the number one killer of Americans, is a popular and important topic in the national media.
I predicted that transparency in national media sources over the past fifty five years has increased with regards to the discussion of heart disease. I tested this by coding articles from eight national media sources with a coding scheme for transparency. The main focus of analysis was the number of specialists and research studies included in articles. These numbers were recorded and graphed.
Results showed that over time the national media sources in this country have become less transparent with regards to heart disease. A drastic decrease in the use of specialists and research studies was seen. As this is a cursory study, future ideas are provided in order to continue the investigation into the decrease in transparency with regards to heart disease as it is conveyed through national media sources. The importance of furthering this study is paramount to the longevity of the health of the American public.
