Abstract
The objectives of this research were to examine the quantity and to identify format of health-related contents in Thai daily Newspapers, to identify distinctive parties involving in process of health message delivery, and to study the concerning parties in terms of their preferences in delivering different health-related messages, their work limitations, their awareness of roles and functions as pressmen, as well as to study the newspaper’s readers concerning types of health information they wanted, their means in searching these information, and their responses towards all health information acquired from the newspaper. This research employed three methods including content analysis, in-depth interview, and focus group. Six Thai newspapers were purposively selected as the sample for content analysis. The total of 84 issues publicized during September 2004 were analyzed. Thirty-three health-related personals working for the six Thai newspapers were interviewed. Furthermore, six focus groups representing newspaper readers, who were different in term of their reading behavior concerning health-related contents, ages, and genders, were conducted. In conclusion, the results from content analysis showed that the most frequent health-related topic and health-related theme found among the sample was topic concerning various deceases, and theme concerning health prevention. Moreover, the most frequent presentation format of health message was the column format. Health-related content could be found in various sections such as women, technology, health, and foreign news sections, as well as the front page.Concerning parties in delivering health-related message consisted of editors in chief, news editors responsible for health-related desks, reporters, columnists and health-related informants. The research found that some specific parties partly shared their roles and functions. Editors in chief, news editors, and columnists mainly acted as message screeners based on their own judgment towards the impact of each topic or content upon readers. Reporters and columnists obviously perform their roles in rewriting and adjusting health-related contents and formats. Health-related informants including the health specialists and the information coordinators played their roles in delivering health-related information. Besides health-related informants, other information sources of the press were government and non-government organizations, documents, and various media channels, locally and internationally. Definitely, each concerning party realized the importance of their role-playing in health-related message delivery. Contents they had paid attention were contents that had tremendous effect upon the public, in term of its benefit and interest. Obstacles in producing health-related messages obviously mentioned in the interviews were difficulties in understanding specific terminologies and particular health-related contents, the thin line between public and private interest over some health-related issues, and the press-owned company’s policy towards health-related content.From the focus group interviews, it was obvious that newspaper was still the accessible medium for different types of readers. Interestingly, attendants mentioned that to read health-related content was not their main purpose in reading newspapers. Therefore, their expectation of exposing health-related content in newspapers was relatively low. Moreover, health-related contents or messages which the readers sought for were different among age groups, gender-based concerns, individual’s health consciousness, and individual’s and or family members’ illness. Further, the findings demonstrated that heavy readers of health-related content were habitually exposed to health-related columns in newspapers and most of them were very active in seeking for other information they would like to know by the use of other media. Light readers of health-related content in newspapers were passive in seeking health information unless they or their family members were ill. Some of them were identified themselves as heavy users of health-related content of other mass medium.Three patterns of responses were found among readers due to their exposure to health-related message. First, due to their own confrontation with health-related problems or concerns, the readers would immediately implement the information they just exposed. The second pattern was to advice surrounding people after considering the involvement of the content upon each person’s situation. Thirdly, the reader would gather all concerned information to build up and to maintain their personal health-related database, and would use this information later whenever needed in the future.
