Doctors in Demand: Media Framing of General Practitioners in German Local Newspapers Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

General practitioners (GPs) are central to primary healthcare, yet their representation in local news remains underexamined. Addressing this gap, this study investigates how GPs are framed in German local newspapers between 2018 and 2023. Drawing on a quantitative content analysis of 576 articles from 112 local newspapers, the study reconstructs frames and examines their development before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that media attention to GPs increased during the pandemic and remained elevated afterward. Coverage is characterized by a persistent focus on GP shortages, structural strain, and political responsibility, while also portraying GPs as essential and trusted actors in patient care. At the same time, the analysis reveals that frames are not static: structurally rooted frames remain stable, whereas crisis-specific frames gain and lose prominence over time. The study contributes to health communication and framing research by demonstrating how local news constructs primary care through dynamic interpretive patterns.