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30-05-2019

Food risk communication: analysis of the media coverage of food risk on Italian online daily newspapers

Authors: Barbara Tiozzo, Anna Pinto, Federico Neresini, Stefano Sbalchiero, Nicoletta Parise, Mirko Ruzza, Licia Ravarotto

Published in: Quality & Quantity | Issue 6/2019

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Abstract

The present study analysed the media coverage of food risk in the online editions of the four leading Italian daily newspapers in order to explore which topics were mainly covered and which aspects were preferably stressed. The media coverage was compared to data published on the RASFF Portal, in order to verify whether the selected sources worked promoting adequate information about food risks, or rather responding to news making criteria. Time series and content analysis were conducted on 2286 food risk news published between 2010 and 2014. The RASFF Portal returned 2697 alert notifications that were analysed and compared with the media coverage results. Findings show that apart from media peaks the selected sources generally cover food risk without much variability. The great majority of RASFF data did not receive specific mention among the news articles analysed, suggesting that the selected sources cover food safety issues responding more to a gate keeping bias. In relation to food incidents that generated major coverage, apart from the 2011 E. coli outbreak, the media were functioning conveying alarmist messages rather than informing and mitigating risks.

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RASFF is a tool enabling the quick and effective exchange of information between Member States and the Commission when risks to human and animal health are detected in the food and feed chain.

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Title: Food risk communication: analysis of the media coverage of food risk on Italian online daily newspapers
Authors: Barbara Tiozzo
Anna Pinto
Federico Neresini
Stefano Sbalchiero
Nicoletta Parise
Mirko Ruzza
Licia Ravarotto
Publication date: 30-05-2019
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Quality & Quantity / Issue 6/2019
Print ISSN: 0033-5177
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7845
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-019-00897-3

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