Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 141 Document Number: D06167
Notes:
Online from Scopus.com. Abstract of paper presented at joint conference of ESREL (European Safety and Reliability) and SRA-Europe (Society for Risk Analysis Europe)in Valencia, Spain, September 22-25, 2008. 1 page.
"Newspaper coverage heavily dominated by institutional sources and dealing with only a narrow range of issues may be limiting the terms of public debate in an unhealthy way."
Benedict, Jamie A. (author), Good, Alice M. (author), Tyler, Peggy, L. (author), and Department of Nutrition, University of Nevada, Reno
Format:
Conference paper
Publication Date:
1994
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 97 Document Number: C07895
Notes:
James F. Evans Collection, Ham, Mimeographed, 1994. 1 p. Presented at the Society for Nutrition Education, Portland, OR, July 16-20, 1994., Newspapers, magazines, television and radio are often the only exposure the public has to information on environmental risk. However, a recent study of network news coverage demonstrated a disparity between the media and scientists on leading environmental risk issues (Lichter, Rothman & Mills, 1993). The medial overemphasized certain factors that scientists rated as only minor. To determine the nature of food safety news coverage in Nevada, a descriptive study was conducted of news and opinion/editorial articles appearing in the 36 Nevada newspapers during a two-year period (July '91 to July '93). All articles related to food safety were collected and categorized according to type, topic and source (n=312). Findings showed that of the 256 news articles appearing during that time, a significant proportion (71%) were from wire services. The five topics appearing most often were foodborne illness (37%), public policy (18%), food tampering (12%), food contaminants (10%), and safe food handling (10%). Opinion/editorial pieces (n=56) were varied and included syndicated columns, editorials, letters to the editor and cartoons. Findings from this study may be useful in working with the media to improve consumers' understanding of food safety and quality issues.
