Between information campaign and controversy: a quantitative newspaper content analysis about COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland and Austria

Author:

Zimmermann Bettina M.123ORCID,Paul Katharina T.45,Janny Anna4,Butt Zarah1

Affiliation:

1. Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Switzerland

2. Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, School of Social Sciences, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany

3. Institute of Philosophy and Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Switzerland

4. Department of Political Science, University of Vienna, Austria

5. Research Platform Governance of Digital Practices (DigiGov), University of Vienna, Austria

Abstract

Aims: Because media portrayal reflects and shapes public opinion and health policy, investigating news coverage of public health issues is highly relevant for public health research and practice. Addressing a topical issue, this study investigated how newspaper coverage framed COVID-19 vaccines in Austria and German-speaking Switzerland and how it developed over time. Methods: A quantitative newspaper content analysis of six newspapers from Austria and German-speaking Switzerland published between January 1 and 31, 2022 was conducted. Frames were identified for each country separately through hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) based on frame elements. Results: Four frames were identified in both countries: (1) Evaluating new vaccines, (2) Discussing mandates, (3) Promoting vaccination, (4) Mentioning vaccines. In Frames 1 (Switzerland 86.4%, Austria 93.3%) and 3 (Switzerland 92.7%, Austria 98.9%), most articles included vaccine-endorsing statements, with Swiss coverage including additional negative statements more often than Austrian coverage (43.2%/44.6% vs 4.0%/3.3%). Frame 2 was closely linked to vaccine skepticism only in Austria and contained more evaluative statements in Austrian newspapers (25.4% endorsing, 35.4% rejecting; in Switzerland 14.5%/18.1%). The Austrian tabloid Kronen Zeitung published most articles (497/1091, 45.6%). Conclusions: The commercialized and comparatively high share of tabloid news coverage in Austria may have contributed to oversimplified and polarizing COVID-19 vaccine debates in this context. Insufficiently balanced and adequate information may contribute to a loss of public trust in vaccination and may therefore affect vaccination uptake. Authorities and public health professionals should consider this effect when designing information campaigns.

Funder

Universität Basel

Austrian Science Fund

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,General Medicine

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