The media politics of health, illness and healthcare

This chapter offers a critical appraisal of research into media representations of health, illness, and healthcare. With the rise of digital and social media, significant shifts have occurred over recent decades and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to renewed attention across the globe to health communication and policymaking. How citizens access health-related information has undergone enormous changes with public health messaging on social media, the explosion of health-related apps, self-tracking through mobile wearable devices, and micro-targeted health advertising. In addition, health services delivery is placing increasing emphasis on online consultations and self-management of conditions through patient-centred and patient-led care. All of these developments have led to new methodological challenges. Previous studies have tended to be heavily media-centric and based on single case studies of public health issues. Recommendations for future research include moving beyond single case studies to broaden our depth of understanding, more attention to tracing production processes and intermedia influence, and the need for more comparative work.