Diseases neglected by the media: a theoretical approach

Abstract

Visibility in the media is a central condition for public awareness of social ills. Despite the increasingly large space dedicated to health in newspapers, the criteria for newsworthiness among health issues conform to journalistic and market logic. It can be understood that while intense coverage tends to exalt certain problems, the omission of others may contribute to political underrating of the latter. This paper aimed to pose the problem of ‘diseases neglected by the media’ i.e. healthcare demands about which little is published, and which are usually related to conditions of poverty and inequality, in order to develop a useful theoretical basis for studying them. For this, the following were proposed: posing the problem of media logic; reflection on the definitions of health needs and demands; analysis of the issue of media (in) visibility; and identification of the conceptual basis that situates ‘diseases neglected by the media’ as a category derived from such reflections.

Health communication; Mass media; Public health