Changing media frames after initiating a public policy

• Author: V. Boureanu/V. Vîlcu
• Position: Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication Studies, University of Bucharest
• Pages: 97-102

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 8 (57) No. 1 - 2015

CHANGING MEDIA FRAMES AFTER

INITIATING A PUBLIC POLICY

V. BOUREANU1 V. VÎLCU1

Abstract: In November 2008, the Tăriceanu Government proposed a public

policy in the field of health care; it was the first in Europe. The State

undertook/decided to finance a vaccination campaign against human

papilloma virus. This benefit, a universal and categorical one, was offered

for free to all female citizens, aged 13. We analyzed the reflection of the

public policy in the media using the framing theory and interviews with

central media representatives in order to discover the categories, through

which the event was signified in order to identify journalistic routines. We

monitored a total of 66 publications in national media during 2008,

identifying 424 articles directly or indirectly related to the campaign. After

monitoring these articles we concluded that the media covered the subject

well before the authorities proposed a public policy in this field, and

discourse analysis supports the hypothesis that pharmaceutical companies

and doctors have promoted vaccination, by the well-known mechanisms of

medicalization.

Key words: print media, papilloma virus, framing theory, Romania, 2008.

1 Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication Studies, University of Bucharest.

1. Introduction

1.1. Free Vaccination – a method of

public health and social care

In November 2008, the Tăriceanu

Government proposed a public policy in

health care; it was the first in Europe. The

state decided to finance a vaccination

campaign against the human papilloma

virus. The benefit, a universal and

categorical one, was offered for free to all

female citizens, aged 13.

The objective of the vaccination

campaign was to limit the incidence of

cervical cancer and skin cancer, whose

beginning is related to infestation with

HPV. Free vaccination represented a form

of social assistance, as it covered categories

of low socio - cultural/ economic levels,

who had not the necessary information to

avoid disease, nor the resources to procure

the vaccine.

1.2. The results of the vaccination

campaign

The campaign was a failure. Just little

over 1,200 families have accepted the

vaccination, out of a total of over 120,000

targeted people (1% acceptance rate). The

communities, particularly schools, have

mobilized themselves against this policy.

Obviously, the goals were not achieved.

The main excuse invoked by the authorities