RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Donation and transplantation coverage in the Canadian media: a content analysis of story focus over 2 decades
JF Canadian Journal of Surgery
JO CAN J SURG
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E661
OP E664
DO 10.1503/cjs.012721
VO 65
IS 5
A1 Alessandro R. Marcon
A1 Timothy Caulfield
YR 2022
UL http://canjsurg.ca/content/65/5/E661.abstract
AB Media coverage affects policy and debates around organ donation and transplantation. We performed a content analysis of stories in the Canadian popular press with a focus on organ donation and transplantation. We built a data set of articles published between Jan. 1, 2000, and May 7, 2019, that included 2082 articles, and we assessed their headlines and lead paragraphs to determine the stories’ focus and tone. The most common topics were recipients and donors (46.4%), policy (31.6%) and raising awareness/funds (26.6%). The tone of the articles was positive in 39.1%, neutral in 34.4%, and negative in 26.5%. The strong focus on patients in the reporting may be clouding critical policy discussions. Health communicators and policy-makers should continually assess how to create engaging messaging that remains accurate.