Framing, Sources, and Tone of Government Response: An Analysis of Tainted Cooking Oil Scandal in Taiwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine print news coverage of food safety issues linked to tainted cooking oil in Taiwan between 2013 and 2014 through the scope of framing theory. A content analysis presents the frames used by Taiwanese news outlets to portray the food incident and outlines how this coverage may have shaped and been reflected by the media. Messages published in newspapers were analyzed to investigate how the amount of coverage and framing of this well-known food safety issue changed over time. The data demonstrated that newspapers, when reporting on aspects of the food scare, relied upon various government sources. Results revealed that attribution of responsibility, weak food safety system, and inefficiency of information dissemination were the most common frames presented in the printed news. During this incident, newspaper coverage largely placed the blame and responsibility on the cooking oil manufacturers. The overall tone of the newspapers offered a moderately neutral description of government response.