Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 2001 Sep 1;92(5):372–375. doi: 10.1007/BF03404983

Cancer Coverage in Newspapers Serving Large and Small Communities in Ontario

Megan MacDonald 1, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6979803  PMID: 11702493

Abstract

Local newspapers are an important source of health news, especially in small communities. We describe the amount and type of cancer information in Ontario daily newspapers dichotomized by circulation size (>400,000 or <40,000) and community size (>250,000 or <25,000 people) for 1991. All cancer articles (n=1027) in five newspapers with large circulations, serving large communities, and five newspapers with small circulations, serving small communities, were read and evaluated for focus and newsplay. Although large newspapers had an absolute greater number of cancer articles, there were no significant differences by newspaper size in the number of cancer articles per 1,000 pages. Large newspapers included more cancer articles with a scientific vs. human interest focus than did small newspapers (p<0.001). Large newspapers tended to use wire services whereas small newspapers tended to use staff reporters. Differences in the type and amount of cancer information varies by newspaper and community size, potentially contributing to differences in community cancer information resources.

References

  • 1.Clarke JN. Cancer, heart disease, and AIDS: What do the media tell us about these diseases? Health Commun. 1992;4:105–20. doi: 10.1207/s15327027hc0402_2. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Meissner HI, Potosky AL, Convissor R. How sources of health information relate to knowledge and use of cancer screening exams. J Community Health. 1992;17:153–65. doi: 10.1007/BF01324404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.James C, James N, Davies D, et al. PReferences for different sources of information about cancer. Patient Ed Counsel. 1999;37:273–82. doi: 10.1016/S0738-3991(99)00031-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Canadian Media Director’s Council. Media Digest, 1998-99. Toronto: Marketing Magazine; 1998. pp. 32–36. [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Sachs DPL. The medium is the message? Southern Med J. 1979;72:1230–31. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197910000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.De Fleur ML, Davenport L, Cronin M, De Fleur M. Audience recall of news stories presented by newspaper, computer, television and radio. Journalism Q. 1992;69:1010–22. doi: 10.1177/107769909206900419. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Finnegan JR, Jr, Viswanath K. Communication theory and health behavior change: The media studies framework. In: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK, editors. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.; 1997. [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Tichenor PJ, Donohue GA, Olien CN. Mass media flow and differential growth in knowledge. Public Opinion Q. 1970;34:159–70. doi: 10.1086/267786. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Ettema JS, Kline FG. Deficits, differences, and ceilings: Contingent conditions for understanding the knowledge gap. Commun Res. 1977;4:179–202. doi: 10.1177/009365027700400204. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Brannstrom I, Lindblad I. Mass communication and health promotion: The power of the media and public opinion. Health Commun. 1994;6:21–36. doi: 10.1207/s15327027hc0601_2. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Wanta W, Elliott WR. Did the “Magic” work? Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the knowledge gap hypothesis. Journalism Mass Commun Q. 1995;72:312–21. doi: 10.1177/107769909507200205. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Kristiansen CM, Harding CM. A comparison of the coverage of health issues by Britain’s quality and popular press. Social Behaviour. 1988;3:25–32. [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Canadian Newspaper Association. Canadian Circulation Data [On-Line]. Available: http://www.can-acj.ca/newspapers/facts/circula-tion
  • 14.Harras A. Cancer Rates and Risks. 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Rensberger B. Covering science for newspapers. In: Blum D, Knudson M, editors. A Field Guide for Science Writers. New York: Oxford University Press; 1997. [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Clarke JN, Robinson J. Testicular cancer: Medicine and machismo in the media. Health. 1999;3:263–82. doi: 10.1177/136345939900300302. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Freimuth VS, Greenburg RH, De Witt J, Romano RM. J Commun. 1984. Covering cancer: Newspapers and the public interest; pp. 62–73. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Hoffman-Goetz L, Gerlach KK, Marino C, Mills SL. Cancer coverage and tobacco advertising in African-American women’s popular magazines. J Community Health. 1997;22:261–70. doi: 10.1023/A:1025100419474. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Hoffman-Goetz L, MacDonald M. Cancer coverage in mass-circulating Canadian women’s magazines. Can J Public Health. 1999;90(1):55–59. doi: 10.1007/BF03404101. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Health Canada. Cancer Surveillance On-Line [On-Line]. Available: http://www.cytheria.ic.gc.ca/spanweb/cancer/c_dis_e.html
  • 21.Cantor AB, Miller MC, Murphy E, Lleneice L. Comparison of media for dissemination of information about cancer in rural communities. Southern Med J. 1979;72:1232–35. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197910000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Bridges JA, Bridges LW. Changes in news use on the front pages of the American daily newspapers, 1986–1993. Journalism Mass Commun Q. 1997;74:826–38. doi: 10.1177/107769909707400411. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES