A content analysis of cancer survivorship coverage in a representative sample of US news outlets

Background . Media are popular sources of cancer information, yet little is known about how survivors are depicted. Methods . This study analyzes coverage of cancer survivors in a nationally representative sample of newspapers and television newscasts. Stories were coded for cancer type, gender, age, survivorship length and status, treatment types, and spirituality, among other variables. Results . Media provide limited information about survivors. Also, although breast cancer coverage was close to survivorship rates, nearly every other cancer type was underreported for both incidence and survivorship rates. Conclusions . Inaccurate media coverage may be contributing to public misunderstanding about cancer survivorship.