Media Exposure and Attitudes Toward Drug Addiction Spending, 1975–2004

Abstract

In this article we examine the relationships between media exposure (television and newspaper) and drug addiction spending attitudes. Theory and research suggest the critical role of media for shaping views and influencing public opinion. However, no studies have considered media's impact for individual-level drug-related attitudes. We examine this using General Social Survey and other data from 1975 to 2004. Results from logistic regression analyses indicate that greater frequency of television viewing and of newspaper reading are associated with higher likelihoods of saying too little money is spent to address addiction. These findings are robust even when accounting for other factors.

Evaluation of Volume of News Reporting and Opioid-Related Deaths in the United States: Comparative Analysis Study of Geographic and Socioeconomic Differences

“…More urban and educated areas receive greater media attention even though the opposite pattern is observed for opioid-related deaths. Previous research has shown that greater media attention and coverage increase public and governmental responses [ 6 , 13 ]. This increased attention may lead the public and the government to devote more resources and develop policy intervention targeted to areas that are less affected by the opioid epidemic.…”

“…By focusing coverage on some topics rather than on others, news media can influence which issues audiences perceive to be more important and in more need of response. For example, an analysis of over 25 years of General Social Survey data showed that greater rates of newspaper reading and television viewing were associated with higher likelihoods of public desire of funding to be directed to addiction [ 6 ]. In another study, a time-series analysis of changing public opinion about the importance of illegal drug use in the United States showed that public views were largely driven by news media describing drug abuse as a crisis [ 7 ].…”

How an Elite-Engineered Moral Panic Led to the U.S. War on Iraq

“…Therefore, responses to violent imagery vary at the individual level in society based on the volume of media one consumes. Similarly, research has demonstrated that greater television viewing and newspaper readership at the individual level are associated with increased concern about drugs (Nielsen and Bonn 2008). Furthermore, studies generally support a conclusion that increased exposure to televised images of crime at the individual level predicts greater fear of crime (e.g., Chiricos et al 1997;Chiricos et al 2000), although more recent research suggests that neighborhood context, program type, and audience traits may mediate the TV-fear relationship (Eschholz et al 2003).…”

Frame Analysis of Drug Narratives in Network News Coverage

“…Blendon and Young (1998) analyzed national survey data compiled between 1978 and 1997 and found that most Americans relied primarily on television for information about drugs, and that during the same period, most respondents felt that drug use was morally wrong and was a serious societal issue. Using data from 1975 to 2004, Nielsen and Bonn (2008) found a significant relationship between television consumption and attitudes on drug addiction spending; specifically, greater frequencies of television consumption were associated with the view that not enough money was spent on addressing addiction.…”

“…Media are agents of socialization that convey normative standards, and they have consistently regarded drug use as deviant behavior, a portrayal to which individuals who have limited experience with drugs may be particularly susceptible (Blendon & Young, 1998; Swalve & DeFoster, 2016). As mass media sources continue to be among the principal ways Americans obtain information, media representations have significant cultural implications including effects on opinion formation and levels of public support for certain policy measures (Entman, 1989; Fan, 1996; Iyengar & Kinder, 1985; Nielsen & Bonn, 2008), particularly in cases of emotionally charged issues. It is therefore critical to recognize the ongoing framing devices and dominant narratives regarding drug issues that are pervasive in news media outlets.…”