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The results of a media analysis project recently conducted by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) indicate that the media may be featuring more positive than negative coverage of dietary supplements.1 Preliminary results of the project were presented at the NBJ/Newport Summit in Laguna Niguel, CA, held July 26-28, and reported in the Fall issue of the DSEA newsletter, “DSEA Update.”
The preliminary report, based on an analysis of 7,061 news articles from November 2005 to June 2006, found that 42% of analyzed stories had a neutral tone, 37% had a positive tone, and 21% had a negative tone. Even the authors of the report expressed some surprise at the relatively high amount of positive media coverage. The articles were taken from a database of 1.5 billion “news impressions” (citations and summaries of news articles or broadcasts mentioning dietary supplements) acquired through PR Newswire’s new analytical tool MediaSenseTM. According to DSEA, an algorithm was used to assess the references and modifiers used around the stories’ featured dietary supplements and score the articles as positive, negative, or neutral.
According to the preliminary report, recurring positive themes in the analyzed coverage included the benefits of fish oil and omega 3 supplements, the safety of vitamin D supplementation over sun exposure, the benefits of supplements for seniors, and the efficacy of supplements in preventing age-related macular degeneration. Common negative themes included concerns about supplements’ safety, efficacy, regulation, and necessity, as well as concerns specifically targeting weight loss products and sports supplements linked to steroid use.
According to the article in “DSEA Update,” DSEA will soon issue its first annual report utilizing the information generated by MediaSense.
-Courtney Cavaliere
Reference
1. DSEA presents media analysis at Newport Summit. DSEA Update. Fall 2006. Available at: http://www.supplementinfo.org/newsletter/dsea_update/fall2006_newsletter.html. Accessed October 12, 2006.
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