The 2009 H1n1 Pandemic Narrative in Newspapers Distributed Within Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE 2009 H1N1 PANDEMIC NARRATIVE IN NEWSPAPERS DISTRIBUTED WITHIN SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Melissa Ann Stoops Copyright Melissa Ann Stoops, August 2012. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. DISCLAIMER Reference in this thesis to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by the University of Saskatchewan. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not state or reflect those of the University of Saskatchewan, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology College of Medicine University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E5 Canada OR Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research University of Saskatchewan 107 Administration Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A2 Canada i ABSTRACT It is known that disease outbreaks, either at a local or a global scale, elicit a social response from the society that it affects which follows a characteristic narrative. An epidemic narrative reflects and shapes the perception of the outbreak. An examination of the mass media provides a glimpse of the epidemic narrative that occurs alongside a disease outbreak. The primary objective of this study is to construct the 2009 H1N1 pandemic narrative from newspaper coverage available in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with a focus on how discourse in the news changes over time and geographically. The study draws on and combines three conceptual frameworks: epidemic narrative, anchoring, and framing, in order to construct the pandemic narrative as reflected by the newspaper coverage. The three frameworks were combined to address three aspects of a narrative: 1) there are common stories for common experiences; 2) new stories relate to old stories; and 3) stories of the same experience can have multiple perspectives and interpretations. When combined, these frameworks provide a nuanced understanding and analysis of an epidemic narrative. Articles from four local Saskatoon papers, the StarPhoenix, Saskatoon Sun, Planet S, and The Sheaf and two Canadian national newspapers, the National Post and the Globe and Mail were analyzed for the study. To analyze the articles, an approach referred to as qualitative content analysis was adapted. The primary focus of this approach is on the discourse and meanings of the text. The study provides an overview of the evolving newspaper coverage of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in newspapers distributed within Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The findings of the study highlight the importance of meaning and how meanings are constructed and reflected with a narrative. The findings also show how the broader socio-cultural context influences a narrative. The results illustrate the difficulties with communication during a fluid and uncertain situation such as a pandemic. This work can provide a basis for communication advice for future disease outbreaks. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Sylvia Abonyi, who provided guidance, encouragement, feedback, and support over the course of my program. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Ross Findlater, Dr. Paul Hackett, and Daryl Oshanek, who provided unique perspectives and feedback on my work. A special thanks to Paul Hackett who designed and provided the maps for this thesis. I would like to thank my external reviewer, Dr. Rukhsana Ahmed, for her discussion and feedback during the defense. Also, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Bonnie Janzen, who served as my committee chair. Funding over the course of my program was provided by the University of Saskatchewan, the College of Medicine, and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. Finally, I would like to thank my partner, Ken Williams, who give me unconditional support and encouragement during my studies. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE ................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Study ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Dissertation Structure ................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2 STUDY BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT .......................................................... 5 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Regional Health Organizations ................................................................................................. 5 2.2.1 World Health Organization .............................................................................................. 5 2.2.2 Canada.............................................................................................................................. 6 2.2.3 Saskatchewan ................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.4 Saskatoon Health Region ................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Influenza ................................................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Pandemic Planning Prior to the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic .......................................................... 10 2.4.1 Influential outbreaks for pandemic planning ................................................................. 11 2.4.2 WHO pandemic planning and pandemic phases ........................................................... 11 2.4.3 Pandemic planning in Canada ........................................................................................ 14 2.5 Overview of 2009 H1N1 Pandemic ........................................................................................ 15 2.5.1 International experience of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic .................................................. 16 2.5.2 Canadian H1N1 pandemic experience ........................................................................... 18 2.5.3 Pandemic in Saskatchewan ............................................................................................ 19 2.6 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER 3 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE AND FRAMEWORKS ................................... 21 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 21 3.2 Media and Health .................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Media representation and perceptions of health ............................................................ 21 3.2.2 Risk communication and perception .............................................................................. 23 3.2.3 Media studies of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic .................................................................