TY - JOUR
T1 - Social Media News Production, Emotional Facebook Reactions, and the Politicization of Drug Addiction
AU - Kilgo, Danielle K.
AU - Midberry, Jennifer
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - In times of health crisis, news media have generally contributed to public panic, though these instances are usually explored in crises involving communicable diseases. However, in 2017, the long-brewing opioid crisis was formally declared a federal emergency by the United States government, leading to a considerable uptick in media attention to drugs and drug addiction. Considering 1) the news media’s tendency to contribute to public fear and panic during times of emergency or crisis, 2) the problematic representations of drug addiction in previous years, and 3) developing social media production practices among journalists on social media, this research uses content analysis to explore how highly circulated news outlets covered drug addiction in 2017–2018 and social media audiences’ emotional responses. Results indicate that political intervention drove media coverage rather than the effects of opioid addiction on people. Political interference led to increased anger and laughter reactions among Facebook users.
AB - In times of health crisis, news media have generally contributed to public panic, though these instances are usually explored in crises involving communicable diseases. However, in 2017, the long-brewing opioid crisis was formally declared a federal emergency by the United States government, leading to a considerable uptick in media attention to drugs and drug addiction. Considering 1) the news media’s tendency to contribute to public fear and panic during times of emergency or crisis, 2) the problematic representations of drug addiction in previous years, and 3) developing social media production practices among journalists on social media, this research uses content analysis to explore how highly circulated news outlets covered drug addiction in 2017–2018 and social media audiences’ emotional responses. Results indicate that political intervention drove media coverage rather than the effects of opioid addiction on people. Political interference led to increased anger and laughter reactions among Facebook users.
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U2 - 10.1080/10410236.2020.1846265
DO - 10.1080/10410236.2020.1846265
M3 - Article
C2 - 33213217
AN - SCOPUS:85096386717
SN - 1041-0236
VL - 37
SP - 375
EP - 383
JO - Health communication
JF - Health communication
IS - 3
ER -