Portrayals of Electronic Cigarette Use; A Content Analysis of News Coverage by Online News Sites in Africa

Abstract

Background Electronic cigarette use has become an international phenomenon in recent years, with many countries reporting an increase in the number of electronic cigarette users. Despite this, it remains largely unclear how news about the use of electronic cigarettes is portrayed in Africa. This study examined how news on electronic cigarette use is portrayed in Africa. Methods Content analysis was conducted to reveal the prevalence of codes and themes. A thematic analysis was also undertaken to explore how the choice of news sources influences news framing. Results The study found that positively framed articles and arguments about e-cigarettes in Africa outnumbered negatively framed articles and arguments. The study also found that the health impacts of electronic cigarettes were the most discussed topic and health authorities were the commonly used news sources. Conclusion Despite public health authorities being the main news source, the study found that there was a lack of unison in the argument on the safety of electronic cigarette use which could result in public health consequences, such as the formation of uninformed policies.