Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 70% of annual deaths, yet they receive far less media attention compared to more dramatic but less common risks like homicide and terrorism.
This imbalance in coverage may affect public perceptions of health risks and influence policy decisions, according to a new study published in Social Science & Medicine.
How Media Bias Affects Public Health Awareness
The study, led by Calvin Isch, a doctoral student at the Annenberg School for Communication, examined how major U.S. news outlets report on different health risks. Using natural language processing, he analyzed over 823,000 news articles published between 1999 and 2020, tracking coverage of 14 different causes of death.
The results revealed a striking contrast:
- Heart disease, which causes 36% of all deaths, had just one news article for every 323 deaths.
- Terrorism, responsible for only 0.00008% of deaths, had 36 articles per death.
This means less deadly but more dramatic events receive much more media coverage, while chronic illnesses—despite their devastating impact—are largely underreported.
How Media Framing Shapes Public Perception
The study also examined how news articles present solutions to different risks. Three main categories emerged:
- Policy solutions (such as new laws or government action)
- Behavioral solutions (lifestyle changes like diet and exercise)
- Technological solutions (medical advancements and treatments)
Articles about chronic diseases focused mainly on individual behavior, suggesting that people should change their habits to reduce their risk. In contrast, articles about sensational risks like terrorism often called for policy solutions, such as new laws or increased security measures.
Additionally, the tone of reporting differed. Coverage of sensational risks tended to be more emotional and negative, while chronic disease reporting remained neutral and less urgent. This difference in tone may further contribute to the public’s tendency to prioritize dramatic but rare threats over the everyday health risks that affect millions.
Why This Matters
The way the media covers health risks influences how people understand threats to their well-being. When chronic diseases receive little attention, the public may not feel an urgent need to demand better prevention programs, funding, or policy changes. Instead, the focus remains on high-profile but statistically rare events.
This study suggests that improving health communication strategies—by giving chronic diseases more coverage and emphasizing collective policy solutions—could help shape public attitudes and lead to better health outcomes. Future research could explore how media-driven perceptions impact health decisions, funding priorities, and policymaking.
By shifting attention toward common, preventable health risks, the media could play a critical role in improving public health awareness and encouraging broader support for chronic disease prevention.
The research findings can be found in Social Science & Medicine.
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