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. 2023 May 2;18(5):e0285207.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285207. eCollection 2023.

Groundhog Day in the emergency department: A systematic review of 20 years of news coverage in Australia

Elizabeth E Austin  1 , Nadia Lanos  1 , Karen Hutchinson  1 , Susan Barnes  2 , Diana Fajardo Pulido  1 , Colum Ruane  3 , Robyn Clay-Williams  1
Affiliations

Groundhog Day in the emergency department: A systematic review of 20 years of news coverage in Australia

Elizabeth E Austin et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

This study examined how the Australian news media have portrayed public hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) over the last two decades. A systematic review and media frame analysis, searching Factiva and Australia and New Zealand News Stream for digital and print news articles published between January 2000 and January 2020. Eligibility criteria were (1) discussed EDs in public hospitals; (2) the primary focus of the article was the ED; (3) focused on the Australian context; (4) were published by one of the Australian state-based news outlets (e.g., The Sydney Morning Herald, Herald Sun). A pair of reviewers independently screened 242 articles for inclusion according to the pre-established criteria. Discrepancies were resolved via discussion. 126 articles met the inclusion criteria. Pairs of independent reviewers identified frames in 20% of the articles using an inductive approach to develop a framework for coding the remaining articles. News media rely heavily on reporting problems within and with the ED, while also proposing a cause. Praise for EDs was minimal. Opinions were primarily from government spokespeople, professional associations, and doctors. ED performance was often reported as fact, with no reference to the source of the information. Rhetorical framing devices, such as hyperbole and imagery, were used to emphasise dominant themes. The negative bias inherent in news media reporting of EDs could potentially damage public awareness of ED functioning, with implications for the likelihood of the public's accessing ED services. Like in the film Groundhog Day, news media reporting is stuck in a loop reporting the same narrative over and over again.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. The number of ED articles published per year.
The dotted line indicates when NEAT (i.e., the four-hour rule) was introduced across Australia.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The number of ED presentations per 10,000 per year.
Fig 3
Fig 3. The number of ED articles published per newspaper over the study period.
Fig 4
Fig 4. The number of ED articles mentioning problems by type from 2000–2020.
Fig 5
Fig 5. The number of ED articles mentioning causes by type from 2000–2020.
Fig 6
Fig 6. The number of ED articles presenting opinions by voice from 2000–2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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