Proximity and Power Factors in Western Coverage of the Sub-Saharan AIDS Crisis
This content analysis explores the relationship between proximity/power status factors and news coverage of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa in the elite press of the United States and Britain. Coverage from six publications— Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, The Economist, New York Times, and London Times—was compared with reported AIDS incidence in the hardest-hit African countries over two decades. AIDS coverage was related to year of publication, country of origin, and former colony status. Strongest predictors of coverage included military spending, scientific research, GDP, GNP, population, government type, and number of highways. Proximity and power status factors may mediate the flow of capital (information, money, and goods) between dominant and dependent nations.