Andress Lauri A, Urhie Ogaga, Compton Christine
J Appalach Health. 2019 Jul 6;1(2):19-30. doi: 10.13023/jah.0102.03. eCollection 2019.
Framing is an important aspect of the policy process that helps the public and decision makers sort through and resolve highly charged claims about an issue. Through slight changes in the presentation of issues, a framing effect may alter public support. The way a proposed sugary drink tax is discussed in public discourse and by the media significantly influences policy acceptance. Given the public health significance of obesity and diabetes in West Virginia (WV) the study of media frames employed to represent a sugary drink tax policy is useful.
Using quantitative content analysis, this study assessed news articles-published over 7 years by news outlets in WV-to determine the frames that were employed.
Pro-tax arguments appeared more often in these articles. In both pro- and anti-tax arguments, a personal behavior or economic frame appeared more frequently. The more common anti-tax arguments focused on the tax being regressive and not changing personal behavior. The pro-tax arguments focused more often on increases in state revenues and people selecting healthier beverages.
Given the significance of obesity and diabetes in WV, the study of media frames that represent the sugary drink tax should provide valuable guidance to inform strategies that utilize public discourse and media coverage to influence policy acceptance. However, since WV has not been able to get approval for its sugary drink tax, it may be beneficial to examine other elements of agenda setting including issue generation tactics, mobilizing structures, and political opportunities.
框架构建是政策过程的一个重要方面，有助于公众和决策者梳理并解决有关某一问题的激烈争议。通过对问题表述进行细微改变，框架效应可能会改变公众支持度。在公共话语以及媒体中对拟议的含糖饮料税进行讨论的方式，会显著影响政策的接受度。鉴于肥胖症和糖尿病在西弗吉尼亚州（WV）具有公共卫生重要性，研究用于呈现含糖饮料税政策的媒体框架很有必要。
本研究采用定量内容分析法，评估WV新闻媒体在7年多时间里发表的新闻文章，以确定所采用的框架。
支持征税的论点在这些文章中出现得更为频繁。在支持和反对征税的论点中，个人行为或经济框架出现得更为频繁。较为常见的反对征税的论点集中在税收具有累退性且不会改变个人行为。支持征税的论点则更多地集中在州收入增加以及人们选择更健康的饮料上。
鉴于肥胖症和糖尿病在WV的重要性，对代表含糖饮料税的媒体框架进行研究，应为利用公共话语和媒体报道来影响政策接受度的策略提供有价值的指导。然而，由于WV未能获得其含糖饮料税的批准，审视议程设置的其他要素，包括议题生成策略、动员结构和政治机会，可能会有所助益。
