The impact of media sensationalism and crisis framing on stigma and negative attitudes towards methamphetamine users

Title
The impact of media sensationalism and crisis framing on stigma and negative attitudes towards methamphetamine users
Publication Date
2020-06
Author(s)
Jones, Rikki
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6643-1565
Email: rjones66@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rjones66
Woods, Cindy
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5790-069X
Email: cwood30@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cwood30
Usher, Kim
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9686-5003
Email: kusher@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:kusher
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1111/inm.12708
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/56142
Abstract

Methamphetamine use is a current focus point round the world, with the media labelling it as an epidemic or crisis that will have a lasting negative impact on our communities (Chalmers, Lancaster, & Hughes, 2016). In recent years however, the media has been challenged in regard to what has been termed crisis framing, or where the media seeks to sensationalize an issue such as the potential impact and use of methamphetamines (Usher, Clough, Woods, & Robertson, 2015). The media has been criticized for their sensationalism of methamphetamine use for a number of reasons including the sources they use to make their claims, including over-reliance on law enforcement officials that has the potential to reduce substance use to a narrow range of topics and interpretive frameworks rather than adopting a solution-focused approach (Taylor, 2008). Regardless of the sources they use, the media is a pervasive persuader of public opinion and attitudes and frequent referencing of a particular drug alongside harmful acts can cause a reader to associate the two (Roach, 2012).

Link
Citation
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 29(3), p. 319-321
ISSN
1447-0349
1445-8330
Start page
319
End page
321

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