News Media Presentations of Electronic Cigarettes: A Content Analysis of News Coverage in South Korea

Analyzing newspaper articles and television news transcripts, our study examines the quantity and the nature of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) coverage in South Korea. In terms of the quantity, we found that news coverage of e-cigarettes significantly increased in the most recent 2 years (2014 and 2015). Our analysis of story topics indicated that South Korean news media were more likely to present e-cigarettes as a policy issue than a health issue, talking primarily about how to regulate this new product. When it comes to potential benefits and drawbacks of e-cigarettes, news coverage was unbalanced and more likely to talk about health risks than benefits. Overall, the tone of news stories was largely unfavorable, suggesting that public sentiment in South Korea has been rather negative than positive toward e-cigarette vaping. We also found that such journalistic practices as relying heavily on established routine sources and focusing on the stories that can attract larger audiences might have affected the way e-cigarettes were presented in the news.