The impact of print media on COVID-19-related child health issues in India: First comprehensive report from the World

The study examined the coverage of COVID-19-related child health issues in four of the most widely circulated newspapers in Kolkata, India. Daily print versions of the TIMES of INDIA, SANMARG, ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA, and BARTAMAN newspapers were scanned manually by a single investigator versed in all three languages. News items on health-related issues in children were archived and examined concerning various coverage parameters. A total of 582 relevant news items were scanned from April 2021 to March 2022. The TOI had maximum coverage [30.6%, n= 178], followed by ABP [29.4%, n= 171], BARTAMAN [21%, n=122] and SANMARG [19%, n= 111]. The numbers published closely reflected the surge in the total number of COVID-19 cases in May, June, and July 2021 and then in January 2022. Around 88% were of the descriptive type, and 12% were interpretive news. Frontpage coverage was sparse. TOI had significantly more articles covering a quarter page or more than the Bengali and Hindi dailies. This is the first comprehensive report on COVID-related child health issues coverage in Indian newspapers. Although the findings are mostly positive, there remains room for improvement in coverage regarding both the number and diversity of child health-related issues.