Survey of food safety news coverage
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- 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
- Subject Term:
- food safety, Nevada, USA, news media, newspapers, reporting, and risk communication
- 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.
