The rise of negative portrayals of radiation oncology: A textual analysis of media news

Abstract

Background and Purpose: There has been growing concern about the media's negative portrayal of radiation oncology in recent years. Our study shows changes in media sentiment toward radiotherapy over the years, identifies prevalent themes, and analyzes their shifts over time. Materials and Methods: We analyzed articles about radiation oncology published in The New York Times since the journal's inception in 1851. Initially, we collected 30 427 articles containing the keywords “radiation” or “radiotherapy” up to July 2023. In the next step, we selected 342 articles on radiation oncology using keyword searches, prompting the Chat GPT language model and manual assessment. Ultimately, we created a codebook summarizing the media topics related to radiotherapy and categorized the articles into these categories. Results: Our analysis identified ten distinct categories representing media themes related to radiation oncology: five negative, three positive, and two neutral. Our findings indicate a rising negative sentiment toward radiotherapy. In the 21st century, over 50% of articles negatively described radiation oncology. The media coverage has shifted its focus away from describing scientific breakthroughs and the implementation of new techniques and toward treatment errors, toxicity, and ineffectiveness. Conclusion: The increasing negative media sentiment surrounding radiation oncology may influence public perceptions and impact patients' decisions. Radiation oncologists should remain vigilant about this situation, ensuring the dissemination of accurate information and addressing negative portrayals.