The Print Media in Times of Anti-Vaccine Lobby: A Content Analysis of National Newspaper Reporting in Spain

Abstract

Although outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have increased, immunization rates are decreasing in Europe. Extant literature has examined the media impact in the response to vaccine campaigns and risk perception. Building from Agenda-Setting Theory, we examine the newspaper reporting in Spain to explore the media portrayal of vaccines before the COVID-19 pandemic and identify potential implications in communication. Results revealed media cover outbreaks and vaccine supply related crises, and scientific research as the dominant themes. Positive and neutral tone significantly increased during the study period, while negative tone remained unchanged. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Agenda-Setting
• Content Analysis
• Media
• Newspaper
• Public Health
• Vaccine

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to lecturer Dr. Carlos David Santamaría Ochoa for his great support in the coding process, as well as to the reviewers and editors Prof. Robert Rowland and Prof. Amy Johnson for their high-quality feedback that has very much strengthen the paper.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Government of Spain under grant with reference [RTI2018-097709-B-I00].