| The news is important. Studies show exposure to health information in the news media influences media consumers to take actions to improve their health. To demonstrate effects of exposure to information, researchers must measure exposure. Exposure measurement does not have to be complex, though through a systematic literature review I find the field of public health research has done an inadequate job accounting for exposure to information in community interventions. The information people remember is that which most likely leads to health promoting behaviors, and I find self-assessed exposure is the best predictor of memory of specific newspaper stories among a sample of African American readers of Black community newspapers (N = 916). Men and readers who reported scanning for health information in their local Black newspaper are the most frequent newspaper readers, but women and readers with higher incomes are more likely to recall specific stories in the paper about health, indicating a greater likelihood of paying attention to health stories. Using a multilevel model, I find exposure to health information in Black community newspaper influences African American newspaper readers to take actions to improve their health. Black community newspapers are an influential source of health information, and should be included in earned media efforts in public health. |
