Abstract
Background/Objectives:
Noise remains an under-discussed type of environmental pollutant, which exerts a wide range of adverse health effects, both auditory and non-auditory. Ensuring that the public has ready access to useful health information online about noise exposure is important. In this regard, evaluating the content of public news articles regarding noise pollution is vital. Although examining the content available to the public on this topic is significant, there is still a dearth of information on this topic. Consequently, this study aimed to analyze the content on Google News regarding noise pollution.
Methods:
Google News was searched using the term “noise pollution,” and 100 articles were shortlisted for further coding. Qualitative coding was based on the news source, the type of domain extension, and whether a video was included in the article. The articles were quantitatively coded based on their content and compared for length.
Results:
The three most common content areas were as follows: types of noise pollution (73%), sources of noise (63%), and responses by administrative offices (59%). Only 17% of the news articles alluded to health issues linked to noise pollution, such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, high blood pressure, and effects on children’s auditory skills, that is speech development, concentration, and memory retention. Scientific research findings related to noise pollution were incorporated in less than one-third of the articles. The news articles were of comparable length.
Conclusion:
This study not only contributes to a better understanding of the news provided to the public and how noise pollution issues are discussed in contemporary, mainstream media, but also can inform about public health initiatives. We recommend that scientific/healthcare communities collaborate with online news media to improve the coverage regarding—and underscore the scientific evidence of—the deleterious consequences of noise on human and animal health.
Keywords: Health literacy, hearing loss, noise pollution
KEY MESSAGES:
Noise pollution is under-reported in online news and remains an invisible, unaddressed threat to health, and well-being. This pollution harms hearing acuity, communication, cognition, and quality of life. Only a small fraction of the articles in this study discussed the health detriments of noise. Recommendations from healthcare professionals regarding prevention or treatment did not appear in any of the 100 most-read articles analyzed herein.
INTRODUCTION
Noise pollution is considered as an invisible threat because it does not manifest itself visibly.[1] Noise is an under-discussed type of environmental pollutant that exerts a wide range of adverse health effects, both auditory and non-auditory.[2] The term “noise pollution” refers to undesirable sound from numerous potential origins, including—but not limited to—industrial processes, transportation, and everyday activities.[1] Chronic noise exposure affects one in three people in the United States annually.[3] Noise interferes with communication and concentration, which can cause an accident or injury.[4] Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) occurs when hearing sensitivity is diminished because of exposure to loud sounds, which can be permanent and occur in one or both ears.[5,6,7]
Hearing loss can have numerous devastating consequences on a person’s life, depending on several parameters such as the age at which a person’s hearing was impacted and the degree and type of hearing loss.[8,9] In adulthood, hearing loss is generally considered an invisible challenge that impacts a person’s social, cognitive, and physical abilities.[10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people under 35 years of age are in danger of hearing loss attributable to extended exposure to loud noises.[20] In this regard, evaluating the content of public news articles about noise pollution is important. Currently, for news consumption, Americans are switching from print publications to digital devices and platforms, with approximately 52–60% of them, respectively, frequently being the alternative information sources of choice.[21] Google News—a digital platform that assembles news from innumerable sources on its site—has over 274 million unique visitors and is among the most clicked-on online news sites.[22,23] The public increasingly uses news aggregator services, such as Google News, to access content about various health topics, including noise pollution, in the United States and worldwide. The content on these platforms includes both professional reporting on issues such as noise complaints and informal postings by individuals impacted by noise.
Although assessing the content available to the public on this topic is important, there is a dearth of information on this topic. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze content about noise pollution on Google News.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study’s methods were based on our previous work.[24,25] A digital search for relevant news articles was performed in September 2023. Using a cleared browser on Google Chrome, Google News was searched using the term “noise pollution,” and 100 articles were shortlisted for further coding. The articles were screened to eliminate duplicates, and only those written in the English language were selected.
Qualitative coding was based on the news source, including the type of domain extension, and an assessment was made to determine if the news article was accompanied by a video. The type of domain extension was studied as an index of the news article’s provenance, such as government body (.gov or .org), academic (.edu), professional association (.org or .net), public (.com or .net), or other. In the cases where videos were present, the videos were watched and their contents were included in the analysis. The length of the article was measured by taking a word count for each article.
The articles were quantitatively coded based on the noise intensity (measured in dBA) and hours of noise that they reported. The rationale for selection of these codes was that long exposure to high-intensity sounds—85 dB or higher—is known to have harmful physical and psychological consequences, including stress and sleep disturbances.[12,13,14]
Further content coding was based on the following descriptors of noise: source of noise, official and anecdotal complaints, location of and proximity to the noise source, impact on interpersonal communication, health impacts/health complaints, research findings mentioned, effects on quality of life, recommendations from health providers, proposed solutions, offenders named, general impacts on the community, and responses by administrative offices. The rationale for selection of these descriptors was that the effects of noise on the brain and nervous system are widespread and include the impairment of cognitive function, oxidative stress, depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative disorders.[18,19]
Lastly, each content category (descriptor) was binary-coded as either present or absent in the article.
This study did not involve human subjects and, hence, did not require review by the Institutional Review Board at William Paterson University.
Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics for the news articles’ sources and content and a quantitative comparison (Kruskal–Wallis H test) of the articles’ length.
RESULTS
Overview of article source and formats
Domain distribution
Of the 100 news articles analyzed herein, the most common domain extension was .com (63%), followed by .org (15%), .net (3%), .edu (3%), and .gov (2%) [Table 1].
Table 1.
Frequency distribution of domain extensions of the news sources related to noise pollution
| Source’s domain extension | Frequency | Percent (%) | Cumulative percent (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | 63 | 63.0 | 63.0 |
| .org | 15 | 15.0 | 78.0 |
| .gov | 2 | 2.0 | 80.0 |
| .net | 3 | 3.0 | 83.0 |
| .edu | 3 | 3.0 | 86.0 |
| Other | 14 | 14.0 | 100.0 |
Presence of video content
Video content was found in only three of the articles.
Analysis of content and reported noise level
Content outline
Table 2 outlines the news articles’ content, and Appendix 1 provides additional illustrative examples for each category.
Table 2.
Frequency distribution of content related to noise pollution
| Descriptors | Percent (%) of articles that mention the descriptor |
|---|---|
| Source of noise | 63.0 |
| Noise pollution (dB) | 25.0 |
| Hours of noise | 30.0 |
| Types of noise pollution | 73.0 |
| Official complaints | 15.0 |
| Anecdotal complaints | 29.0 |
| Effects of noise pollution on quality of life | 37.0 |
| Proposed solutions | 32.0 |
| Impact on interpersonal communication | 6.0 |
| Offenders named | 7.0 |
| Location of and proximity to the noise source | 12.0 |
| Health impacts/health complaints | 17.0 |
| Recommendations from health providers | 4.0 |
| General impacts on community | 5.0 |
| Incorporation of scientific research | 30.0 |
| Responses by administrative offices | 59.0 |
Appendix 1.
Illustrative Content for Google News Articles on Noise Pollution
| Number of hours of noise | • Most articles did not mention number of hours of noise and talked about the presence of noise more generally • Those that did mention it, noted disturbance between 10 pm and 6 am • The range of hours of noise were 6–24 hours/day • Some mentioned chronic noise exposure throughout the day for 4–5 days/week |
| Types / sources of noise | • The most common source of noise was road traffic and traffic congestion, and construction followed by aircraft, entertainment/music services, and festivals • Road traffic was related to cars and motorcycles • Articles that mentioned ocean noise pollution were caused by human activity like shipping and seismic testing |
| Complaints −anecdotal | • Complaints about citizens wanting to leave their homes • Noise pollution was called a neglected pollutant and continuous problem |
| dB noted | • The lowest dB noted was 40 dB • The highest noted was 190 dB • Most mentions of dB were around 60–90 |
| Complaints − official | • Official complaints were related to the number of complaints from the source mentioned • The range of number of complaints were 167–10,000 |
| Health complaints- headaches, sleep disturbances, hearing loss, cognitive disorders, irritability, mood disorders, heart problems, | • Short term: sleep disturbance, bad mood, stress, nightmares • Long term: anxiety, increased blood viscosity, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, depressive symptoms, hearing loss • Lowered fertility and increased mortality in animal populations (specifically whales) |
| Quality of life | • All complains of noise pollution hinted at reduced quality of life • Noise pollution is a disturbance, annoyance, and unbearable aspect of life • Mentioned relocating homes |
| Solutions offered- type, timeline | • Individual solutions: people are wearing headphones/earplugs, using calming music to sleep, and taking supplements to calm their nerves • New technology: low noise asphalt, building walls against major roads/highways to reduce noise for residential communities near these areas |
| “Offenders” named | • Offenders were generally not named and complaints usually only included the source of noise pollution |
| General effects/impact on community (value, health costs, correction of problems….) | • Communities explained increased feelings of irritability and need for medication to calm their nerves • Articles that discussed environmental injustice mentioned increased feelings of inferiority and awareness of disparities |
| Town’s (Administrative) response | • Noted increased police enforcement of noise ordinances and fines against offenders • To reduce road noise pollution, 20–25 mph speed limits were enforced throughout certain hours of the day and cameras were installed to track offenders • Many airports are enforcing quotas on number of planes taking off/landing |
| Recommendations from health providers | • There were no specific recommendations from health providers about what citizens can do to limit their exposure or negative effects • Mentions of the negative impacts of chronic noise and one recommended implementing “quietude” laws |
| Research findings mentioned | • Research findings were related to the association between chronic noise and loud noise and certain health outcomes (cardiovascular, cognitive, emotional) • Statistics between noise pollution and reduced life expectancy • Association between human activity caused noise and animal behavior |
| Locations noted re their proximity to airports subways etc. | • None of the articles mentioned specific distances (in meters, km, feet, etc.) re the proximity to source of noise • Articles only mentioned they were “close to, ” “next,” or “near” major roads and highways, highways, and venues |
| Impact on interpersonal communication while outside | • Interpersonal communication for humans was only described for one article • Other articles mentioned the impact on communication of animals that use echolocation for finding food, navigating, and communicating. Ocean noise disrupted these abilities and “disoriented” them |
Noise measurements
Regarding specifications of noise levels, 25% of the news articles highlighted specific noise measurements in dBA. The most commonly reported noise levels ranged from 60 dBA to over 100 dBA (reported in 14% of the news articles).
Noise duration and noise types
About 30 of the news articles discussed noise duration, including mentions of all-day noise (4%), noise lasting between 4 and 8 hours (4%), and night noise (6%). Noise types were identified in 73% of the articles, with the most frequently mentioned type of noise being music or festival noise (10%); airplane/airport noise (9%); car, construction, and road noise (7% each); and rail/train noise (5%).
Public and official complaints
Concerning public reactions, 15% of the news articles mentioned official complaints regarding noise and about twice as many news articles (29%) mentioned anecdotal complaints.
Communication challenges and offenders
Only six news articles mentioned people’s potential difficulty in communicating owing to noise, and these referred to scheduled special events. Offenders were named in 7% of the news articles, and 12% included details regarding the location of and proximity to the noise source.
Negative health effects and impacts on the community
Noise pollution’s negative effects on quality of life were highlighted in 37% of the news articles. Health issues linked to noise pollution—including sleep disturbances, anxiety, high blood pressure, and effects on children’s auditory skills, speech development, concentration, and memory retention—were mentioned in 17% of the articles. Few articles mentioned recommendations by a healthcare provider (4%) and the general impacts of noise on the community (5%).
Incorporation of scientific research and insights
Scientific research findings related to noise pollution were incorporated in 30% of the news articles.
Administrative stance and responses
Administrative entities’ stances and responses to noise and noise pollution were delineated in 59% of the news articles.
Proposed solutions
Additionally, 32% of the news articles proposed solutions to mitigate noise pollution, including strategies such as no-honking policies, speed regulations, noise-detecting cameras, quiet hours, low-noise asphalt, fines for violations, and constructing barriers.
Word count comparison
A Kruskal–Wallis H test was conducted to examine the differences in length—measured by word count—among the 100 news articles derived from various news sources featured on Google News. The analysis revealed no statistically significant variation in the length of articles across the different news sources (P = 0.53).
DISCUSSION
Online news coverage is an important medium through which public perception can be shaped and knowledge can be garnered.[26] However, research regarding the type of content provided to netizens seeking to inform themselves about noise pollution is scarce. Our results reveal that the information available to consumers is more general than specific and that most Google News articles do not provide details regarding important noise parameters (e.g., the intensity, duration, or frequency of noise) that can be considered for remediation. This minimal coverage perpetuates noise pollution’s “invisibility.”
In 1972, the WHO recognized noise as a pollutant, and the United States enacted the Noise Pollution and Abatement Act, which permitted the federal government to regulate noise pollution. Accordingly, efforts to reduce undesirable noise were initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency.[28] In the United States, noise emissions are now controlled at the state and local levels through established standards on noise from various sources.[27] Recently, noise pollution has received increased attention, and significant efforts have been invested to mitigate its negative effects.[28,29]
Dialogue about noise pollution has expanded from merely a broad public health concern to an increasingly imperative issue encompassing concerns related to environmental justice. Research indicates that communities with low socioeconomic status and those comprising racial and ethnic minorities tend to have high exposure to loud noise.[30] Consequently, noise pollution contributes to the global burden of disease as well as to health disparities.
This study is limited by the cross-sectional collection of articles, which do not reflect the entirety of the information available to consumers. Further, only articles written in English were analyzed. The articles relied on a single aggregate news source, which does not include information regarding which articles generated the most interaction. Thus, the cycle of news may have limited the 100 articles that automatically appear on a Google News search. The content of the videos included in the articles was not analyzed. Despite these limitations, this study improves the understanding of the news provided to the public and how noise pollution issues are discussed in contemporary, mainstream media, and can inform about public health initiatives and targeted public health initiatives.
CONCLUSIONS
As the public increasingly obtains news from online platforms, online news’ coverage of the health detriments of noise—including physical, mental, and cognitive harms—should be more thorough. Further, online news should present the scientific evidence supporting this coverage and offer relevant solutions.
The scientific/health communities should increase their online news presence and initiate interprofessional collaborations with journalists to promote public awareness regarding—and intensify preventive practices to combat—the adverse health effects of prolonged noise exposure.
Author Contributions
C.H.B., B.K.: concepts, design, literature search, manuscript preparation, manuscript editing, manuscript review, guarantors.
E.P., H.Y.: literature search, data acquisition, data analysis, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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