Health news coverage in India: a comparative analysis of English and Hindi newspapers

The media plays a crucial role in disseminating health information to the public. This study analyzes the coverage of health news in leading English and Hindi newspapers in India. A cross-sectional content analysis was conducted on health-related news articles published in four major Indian newspapers (The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Dainik Jagran, and Amar Ujala) from July to December 2022. Data on the monthly and weekday distribution, health topics covered, and sources cited were collected and analyzed. A total of 5116 health-related news articles were analyzed. Hindi newspapers (Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala) published more health-related news (2906 articles, 56.80%) compared to English newspapers (The Hindu and Hindustan Times) (2210 articles, 43.20%). The most prominently covered topics were environmental and pollution, communicable diseases, and COVID. Government health departments and agencies were the most cited sources in The Hindu and Amar Ujala, while research institutes and scientific journals were most cited in Dainik Jagran. Hindustan Times relied more on health bloggers and influencers. The coverage of occupational health and health insurance was limited across all newspapers. Hindi newspapers in India demonstrated a greater focus on health-related news compared to English newspapers during the study period. The study highlights the importance of newspapers in disseminating health information and the need for comprehensive reporting on diverse health topics, including occupational health and health insurance. The findings also emphasize the importance of citing credible sources in health news reporting.