Reporting pill panic. A comparative analysis of media coverage of health scares about oral contraceptives

This paper compares British media coverage of fwo 'health scares' concerning oral contraceptives: the alert about a link between some brands of the Pill and venous thromboembolism, in October 1995; and that about the link between the Pill and breast cancer in June 1996. A content analysis of media reporting examines how - although the risk involved was small in both cases - the October alert escalated quickly into panic, whilst in June a very clear 'low risk' message came through. In both cases, the Department of Health and others attempted to combine a 'risk' message with a reassuring 'don't panic' message. In June 1996, not only was the content of the message more 'positive' and less dramatic, but it was also handled in a way which minimised the possibility of it escalating into a scare story in the media. In October 1995, by contrast, a story which itself contained the elements of risk necessary for a scare story, was released to the media in such a way that its drama was emphasised, and panic ensued.