A content analysis of newspaper coverage on the blockbuster drug Prozac

This study analyzed news coverage from the Indianapolis Star and The New York Times about the blockbuster drug Prozac® from the day it was approved on Dec. 29, 1987, until Dec. 31, 2006, to gain insights about whether the tone and prominence of news stories about Prozac changed over the duration of its 20 year lifecycle.A content analysis was used to evaluate whether stories were more favorable in tone during the first phase of Prozac's lifecycle, whether the tone of those stories became more negative as time passed, and, if it did, during which phase of Prozac's lifecycle that change in tone occurred.The findings from this study can assist public relations practitioners - particularly those who work in the pharmaceutical industry - in developing proactive and strategic media relations plans for consumer products such as prescription drugs and establishing more appropriate expectations and projected metrics.Department of JournalismThesis (M.A.