During the course of a week, make a note of the different communicative contexts in which health issues emerge. For example:
■ Monitor a range of international, national and local media. What health stories were covered? How would you categorise these? Were they political, scientific, consumer or celebrity stories? Can you detect any differences between the types of stories that are being covered in each media?
■ What marketing activity did you notice with a health message? Do not confine your observations to campaigns that are linked explicitly to health and well-being. Consider activity that also uses health connotations to promote a particular product or service. How was this achieved? Who was behind this marketing activity? What do you think was the purpose of the campaign?
■ Were you part of any conversations that discussed health issues? Where did these conversations take place? What prompted the discussion? Was it a news story, a personal experience or something else?
Feedback
Health issues straddle a range of societal agendas. They are the province of governments, organisations and individuals. This diversity of interest is reflected in the way health is discussed in the media we consume. It is also a staple of day-to-day conversation. Furthermore, it’s interesting to note how different cultures respond to health issues and the impact this has on public discourse.
