Discussing vaccine and autism in a mainstream newspaper in Italy: A thematic analysis

Titolo Rivista PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE
Autori/Curatori Monica Pivetti, Silvia Potì, Silvia Di Battista
Anno di pubblicazione 2022 Fascicolo 2022/3
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 22 P. 53-74 Dimensione file 379 KB
DOI 10.3280/PDS2022-003007
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FrancoAngeli è membro della Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA)associazione indipendente e non profit per facilitare (attraverso i servizi tecnologici implementati da CrossRef.org) l’accesso degli studiosi ai contenuti digitali nelle pubblicazioni professionali e scientifiche

Over the past few years, there has been a great deal of concern regarding the potential links between childhood vaccinations and the development of ASD, possibly leading to vaccine hesitancy. This study aims to explore the representational field related to the vaccine-autism link in a mainstream Italian newspaper. We analyzed newspaper articles published on La Repubblica, from January 2009 untill January 2017 (N = 168 newspaper articles), via T-Lab software. The analysis produced four clusters: a) Trust and sense of belonging; b) Judgment dimension; c) Catastrophic narratives; d) Organization of the public healthcare system. The need to monitor media coverage on key healthcare topics was considered of paramount importance.

Negli ultimi anni, si è registrata una notevole preoccupazione riguardo al possibile legame tra vaccini e lo sviluppo dell’autismo, che può condurre alla "vaccine hesitancy". Questo studio intente esplorare il campo rappresentazionale riguardante il legame tra vaccini e autismo in un diffuso quotidiano italiano. Abbiamo analizzato gli articoli comparsi su La Repubblica, dal gennaio 2009 al gennaio 2017 (N = 168 articoli), attraverso il software T-Lab. L’analisi ha prodotto 4 clusters: a) fiducia e senso di appartenenza, b) dimensione del giudizio, c) narrazioni catastrofiche, d) organizzazione dei servizi sanitari pubblici. Appare di fondamentale importanza monitorare il contenuto dei media su argomenti chiave della salute.

Keywords:vaccine hesitancy, legame tra vaccini e autismo, analisi dei media, T-Lab, fiducia

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Monica Pivetti, Silvia Potì, Silvia Di Battista, Discussing vaccine and autism in a mainstream newspaper in Italy: A thematic analysis in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 3/2022, pp 53-74, DOI: 10.3280/PDS2022-003007