LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS: THEIR ROLES IN A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

• Published in: Journal of community health Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 363 - 376
• Main Authors: Hubbell, Anne P., Dearing, James W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Kluwer Academic/Human Science Press 01-10-2003; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Access to information; Attitude to Health; Bibliometrics; Change Agents; Community Change; Community Health Planning - organization & administration; Community health services; Community Participation; Community Relations; Content analysis; Decision Making, Organizational; Dentistry; Health Care Reform - organization & administration; Health education; Health promotion; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Health Services; Humans; Information Sources; Innovation; Leadership; Mass Media; Media; Media coverage; News Reporting; Newspapers as Topic - statistics & numerical data; North Carolina; Partnership; Policy Making; Public health; Public Opinion; Public Support; Social Change; Social impact; Social Marketing; Social Networks; Social Problems; United States; Urban Youth
• ISSN: 0094-5145; 1573-3610
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1025496613824

To understand local media's role in a community health initiative, a content analysis of 1,709 paragraphs from 173 news articles and editorials was undertaken. The articles were from three local newspapers, one in each of three communities. Analyses focused on article content combined with reflective personal interviews with local campaign directors. Results suggest that local campaign staff can be successful using commercial media to achieve objectives. Surprisingly, most coverage was not about projects with observable and easily identifiable benefits for local residents, but rather partnerships among influential residents engaged in decision-making about such projects. We conclude that the politics of resource distribution is more newsworthy to local journalists than tangible topics like access to health information, insurance coverage, and service provision.