Television news' coverage of motor-vehicle crashes

ProblemTraffic crashes are a major cause of injury and death. Although it has been argued that a skewed estimation of personal risks may be partly attributable to news representations of mortality causes, the manners in which traffic crashes are covered in the news have not received much attention in the literature.MethodThe current study used content analysis to examine the framing of traffic crashes in television news.ResultsThe data indicated that Flemish television news does not report traffic crashes from a public health perspective and consequently it misses opportunities to inform the public on the causes and consequences of risk-taking in traffic.Impact on industryIt is important that professionals are aware of these findings and stress contextual factors surrounding traffic crashes in their communication with journalists. This may lead to more accurate reports and a more accurate risk perception of viewers.