Health care in the United States is always in the news. Rising costs, uneven quality and limited access are the essence of one incumbent after another. And beyond these core issues, stories about fraud and abuse, drug and device recalls, and medical negligence appear on the front pages almost as often. Specialized medical reporters enjoyed considerable autonomy within news organizations and could select, search, and form angles for stories.
Consequently, this study aimed to identify how journalists from all sectors of the news production process worked within their organizations to select, shape and present health news. We are looking for more journalists from the written press because radio and television news are usually selected from the main newspapers and, therefore, play a more important role in selecting and framing the news. Finally, comparisons between people who use specific news sources, such as Fox News, Twitter and Facebook, showed that this type of news consumption can reinforce prejudices and harm knowledge about COVID-19.
