Agenda-setting and the media amplification of fear: The case of pandemic influenza coverage

This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of the interplay between the media and political actors in agenda-setting and framing of health policy issues. The primary objectives of the study are to (1) review norms used by the media and public policy actors in agenda-setting on the issue of infectious disease, and more specifically on pandemic preparedness, (2) determine if the media report on the pandemic question using a panic frame and narrowly define the pandemic preparedness issue, and (3) whether the Canadian federal government reform of public health, and new investments for stockpiling of antiviral drugs, have been addressed by the two Canadian English national newspapers using balanced reporting of an impending pandemic crisis.;The content analysis results were drawn from a census of newsprint media coverage from October 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006 on the topic of avian influenza and pandemic preparedness. The findings suggest that news coverage was hegemonic and that a significant number of stories were framed in a reassuring or neutral tone. However, it was noted that stories written immediately following a trigger event such as heightened alert to potential spread of the H5N1 strain after reported cases in Asia, reports were found to use a panic frame and the tone was more likely to be alarmist. The study concludes that although the story held some news value for both newspapers over the entire review period, the stories lacked sufficient information for readers to fully understand this complex topic. More generally, articles were found to lack depth in technical details around the issue. The majority of articles provided too few details on the ethical dilemma surrounding pandemic planning, the threat posed by the H5N1 flu strain, or the risks and benefits to antiviral drugs use.