Written media coverage of aphasia: a review

Background: Public knowledge of aphasia and its effects is consistently low, and significantly lower than other disorders with a similar prevalence. Knowledge of aphasia among the general public is critical, not just for its effect on funding and policy, but most importantly for the person with aphasia and their reintegration into the community. Aims: As the public hear about health issues from the media, this study investigates the quantity of aphasia-related news in the written media in 1999 and 2009, compared to Parkinson’s disease (PD); it also describes the content of aphasia news for both years. Methods & Procedures: A number of written news databases (covering international English-only national and regional newspapers accessible to the public) were searched for the term “aphasia” and “Parkinson’s disease”. The nature and extent of information on aphasia was also determined. Outcomes & Results: Although the frequency of aphasia-related items increased four-fold across this decade, it is still mentioned only once for every 27 PD-related articles. In both years the information on aphasia imparted to the public is limited; it lacks detail regarding aphasia’s complex nature, the effects on the person and their family, recovery, and rehabilitation. The depiction of aphasia is often confusing and inaccurate, with media focusing on dramatic aspects or medical opinion. Aphasia is also used colloquially to indicate silenced or tongue-tied, or for a naming difficulty in non-medical sources. Conclusions: Considering the limited coverage of, lack of information on, and bewildering information on, and bewildering interpretations of aphasia in the media, it is not surprising that public knowledge of aphasia is sparse and confused. These findings intensify the urgent need to enhance and extend aphasia’s representation in all forms of media, and can provide professionals,those affected by aphasia, and the public with a focus for education and awareness raising