An analysis of reporting of sexually transmissible infections in indigenous Australians in mainstream Australian newspapers.

Publisher: CSIRO Pub Country of Publication: Australia NLM ID: 101242667 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1448-5028 (Print) Linking ISSN: 14485028 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sex Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Collingwood, Vic. Australia : CSIRO Pub., c2004-

Bibliometrics* ; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander* ; Public Opinion*; Mass Media/*statistics & numerical data ; Newspapers as Topic/*statistics & numerical data ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/*epidemiology; Australia/epidemiology ; Cultural Diversity ; Female ; Humans ; Information Dissemination ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Persuasive Communication

Background: To investigate the nature of, and trends in, Australian print media coverage of sexually transmissible infections (STI) in indigenous Australians.
Methods: Newspaper articles from January 1986 to June 2004 were downloaded from the Factiva database. Of 164 articles examined based on our search criteria, 100 were included for analysis. An assessment of the tone and content of each article was made by two reviewers, and data were entered and analysed using EpiInfo (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) RESULTS: Most articles were serious (89%), matter of fact and information dense (50%) and critical of the subject of the article (44%). Of the articles that were emotive, 78% evoked a sense of shock or frustration. The stimulus for the article was government related in 65%; a purely academic opinion was presented in 82%; and only one viewpoint was presented in 73%. The papers publishing the greatest number of articles were The Sydney Morning Herald (31%) and The Age (18%). From 1996 there was an increase in the number of articles and improvements in the voice given to indigenous informants. This may reflect initiatives in journalism education and release of a protocol on how STI in indigenous communities should be reported.
Conclusion: Overall, the style of reporting was heavy, dry and critical, written in an academic style and failed to critically examine or challenge government initiatives. The potential for print media to educate the general public is poorly utilised. Further exploration of how sensitive indigenous issues can be presented to avoid stereotyping, stigma and nihilism, while initiating more effective action, is needed.

Date Created: 20070327 Date Completed: 20070503 Latest Revision: 20211203

20231215

10.1071/sh06010

17382031