The influence of business strategies on the frames of health news: a comparison of health news in two Korean newspapers

Abstract

This study examines how an adoption of a spin-off publication, which is a subsidiary of a parent company, might be associated with changes in the frames of health news. A content analysis of two Korean newspapers showed that reporters at the spin-off relied more on health news sources from potential advertisers, such as pharmaceutical companies and doctors who work at private clinics and hospitals, and that the frames emphasized medical treatments rather than the promotion of healthy lifestyles, which was the focus of frames before the spin-off. These findings suggest that news associated with spin-offs may be framed to emphasize services offered by potential advertisers. Because framing and sources impact readers’ perceptions of medical problems and their choices about what action to take, this study also raises questions about possible long-term effects on individual health care preferences. In addition, these findings illustrate the emerging, critical role that business spin-offs play in the construction of news coverage and frames, making them an important factor within the organizational layer of the hierarchy of influences model.