TITLE:
The Perfect Communication Storm: News Coverage of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act
AUTHORS:
Tucker-McLaughlin Mary, Jin-Ae Kang
KEYWORDS:
Health Care, Reform, Obama, PPACA, Framing Television News, News Releases
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.9 No.2,
March
14,
2019
ABSTRACT: This study contributes a historical perspective to communication that
surrounds health care policy. The importance of the role of media in the
establishment of public policy is highlighted, as well as an administration’s
ability to educate the media and public about proposed legislation. Using
content analysis, the researchers examined how White House news releases and
television news stories represented the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act (PPACA) from its initial discussion in January 2009 through March of 2012.
The results showed neither the White House news releases, nor the network
television news stories provided the public with a comprehensive outline of the
PPACA. Both the Obama administration and the media presented the PPACA as an
important current issue, but both failed to define it in ways that made the
legislation accessible to the public. The lack of definitive information
created confusion for the public and this health care policy remains a
controversial piece of legislation which has been threatened with repeal.