Thesis
An analysis of the shifting tone of the German news media’s discussion of mental health during COVID-19
University of Iowa
Bachelor of Science (BS), University of Iowa
Spring 2023
Abstract
Germany sits in the middle of the G7 countries when it comes to crude suicide rates, with 9,000 deaths by suicide registered in 2019 (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health became a more common and larger discussion worldwide both personally and publicly. Understanding how mental health is discussed in the media is critical to examining the sector of German health care from a societal lens. A textual analysis of two of the largest German newspapers, Die Deutsche Welle and Der Spiegel, and their discussion of mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic examined how the conversation within the country has altered in recent history. Analysis included published online news stories from January 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was found in Bavaria, until July 2021, when numbers slowed (Bosen & Thurau, 2021). All the articles examined discussed both COVID-19 and mental health in some capacity. The 50 examined articles show an overall neutral tone for the period examined, though there was diversity with positively, negatively, neutrally and mixed tones. The prominent tones in the 16 months examined went from negative or neutral in 2020 to positive and mixed in 2021 where not articles were strictly negative in language. The research findings will inform people on how mental health discussions within German media altered throughout the pandemic and what tone/language is commonplace when discussing the sector of health care in Germany which could directly affect how Germans understand mental health and decrease stigmatization.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- An analysis of the shifting tone of the German news media’s discussion of mental health during COVID-19
- Creators
- Eleanor M Hildebrandt
- Contributors
- Kristine Munoz (Advisor) - University of Iowa, Communication StudiesRachel Young (Mentor) - University of Iowa, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Project Type
- Honors Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Bachelor of Science (BS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Global Health Studies
- Date degree season
- Spring 2023
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- 35 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2023 Eleanor M. Hildebrandt
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- CLAS Honors Theses
- Record Identifier
- 9984414552302771
Metrics
14 File views/ downloads
40 Record Views