Printed in U.S.A. Risk Perception UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA COVERAGE OF DISEASE CLUSTERS

mass media coverage of disease clusters. Am J Epidemiol 1990;132:S192-S195. The responsibility of Informing the general public about disease clusters belongs to health investigators. In the majority of instances the investigators must send their messages through the mass media. The authors analyzed nightly network television news coverage of disease clusters during the period 1978-1987, and newspaper coverage of four disease clusters. Formal content analysis of about 600 stories showed that the mass media focuses on human interest, conflicting information, blame, and political symbolism in their coverage of clus-tered health events. The authors offer suggestions to health practitioners about improving their communications with journalists. newspapers; space-time clustering; television As part of a study aimed at improving communications between government and the mass media, we are studying television and newspaper coverage of clustered health events. Mass media coverage of clusters is important because the American public gets most of its news about health and environment from television and newspa-pers (1, 2). Our research focuses on the relation between traditional journalistic news practices and coverage of clustered health events. Our working hypothesis is that the mass media's need for a story to emphasize human interest and conflict, and Received for publication May 8, 1989, and in final form November 10, 1989