Media, Public Opinion and Health Care in Canada: How the Media Affect “The Way Things Are”

Abstract

Abstract.Health care has arguably been the most important issue in Canadian politics in the past decade. This paper focuses on the extent to which the media affect public perceptions of “the way things are” in the Canadian health care system. Individual perceptions of the state of health care are analyzed as being a function of personal experience with the system, loyalty or pre-formed opinions and the information that the individual receives through the media. Results indicate that media use has a significant effect on the likelihood of negative perceptions regarding the state of health care.Résumé.Le système de soins de santé représente sans doute le thème dominant de la dernière décennie sur la scène politique canadienne. Cet article examine l'influence exercée par les médias sur les perceptions du public concernant «la situation courante» du système de soins de santé canadien. L'analyse présente les perceptions individuelles sur l'état du système comme étant le reflet de l'expérience personnelle, d'une loyauté ou d'une opinion préétablie et de l'information transmise par les médias. Les résultats indiquent que les médias ont une incidence importante sur d'éventuelles perceptions négatives concernant l'état du système de soins de santé.

Public Satisfaction with the Health System and Popular Support for State Involvement in an East Asian Welfare Regime: Health Policy Legitimacy of Hong Kong

“…While satisfaction is understandably more related to individuals' personal experiences with the health system (Wendt et al ), the normative preference for state involvement may be shaped by the level of people's satisfaction with the system. Blidook () has noted that the formation of public attitudes towards health policy is determined by a combination of pre‐formed opinions, information received externally and personal experiences. Soroka et al .…”

Assessing the Content of Television Health Insurance Advertising during Three Open Enrollment Periods of the ACA

“…In part, this relates to the question of whether and to what extent individuals formulate opinions and make decisions in a health care setting on the basis of personal experience versus pre-formed opinions due to ideology or other informational sources. Prior work by Blidook suggest opinions on health care derive from multiple sources (Blidook 2008). Importantly, the literature suggests that the more directly a person experiences an issue, the less open he or she is open to external influences (e.g., via the media) on that issue (Mutz 1992; Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur 1976; Blidook 2008).…”

“…Prior work by Blidook suggest opinions on health care derive from multiple sources (Blidook 2008). Importantly, the literature suggests that the more directly a person experiences an issue, the less open he or she is open to external influences (e.g., via the media) on that issue (Mutz 1992; Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur 1976; Blidook 2008). Thus, the content of advertising matters not only for policy (i.e., the composition of the individual Marketplace and the types of appeals used by advertisement sponsors) but also for politics, particularly what information about the ACA the general public observing these marketing efforts might draw in forming their attitudes about the law, efforts to replace or modify it, and future health reform efforts.…”

The 'Gardasil controversy' in Canada : a study of print media portrayals preceding, surrounding and following federal investment in a national human pailomavirus (HPV) immunization program

“…For instance, in regards to the primary focus of media studies, the majority of past research has addressed media representations of body images, particular diseases, the uptake of health care and coverage of pharmaceuticals (Hayes et al 2007). Research has identified that public perceptions and preferences are altered based on the media framing of issues, especially war coverage (Blidook 2008). In terms of the reporting on genetics, the degrees and sources of inaccuracies have been investigated, as well as the general weaknesses of the media's coverage of medical breakthroughs (Bubela & Caulfleld 2004).…”

“…More specifically, the media have a significant impact upon perceptions of health care (Blidook 2008). Recent research has shown that public opinion and public perceptions of policy issues play an important role in policy change.…”