Final Media Literacy and Contempory Manifestations of Media Bias

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Media Literacy and Contemporary Manifestation of Media Bias Robin Haapala Colorado State University Global HUM101-3-Critical Reasoning Dr. Katherine Olson October 16, 2022 1

2 Media Literacy and Contemporary Manifestations of Media Bias Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women. Asia and sub- Saharan Africa, where alarming patterns in rising cervical cancer prevalence rates have been recorded, bear the weight of the global illness burden (Milondzo et al., 2022). The incidence and fatality rates for cervical cancer are among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa in South Africa. In South Africa, bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccinations have been accessible since 2008. In partnership with the National Directorate of Basic Education, the South African National Department of Health implemented the free HPV vaccination initiative for government institutions for females in Grade four in 2014. Two biannual programs are used in this school- based vaccination program to distribute two rounds of the bivalent HPV vaccine, which are spaced six months apart (Milondzo et al., 2022). According to data from the Comprehensive School Healthcare Program, 86.6% of girls who were age-eligible for the 2014 first dose campaign had received their HPV vaccinations at public sector schools. Many subdistricts lacked enough coverage, which might have been related to anti- vaccination posts on social platforms throughout the campaign, which increased vaccine reluctance. It determined the drop-out rates between dosages one and two because later coverage statistics were provided as figures rather than percentages. Numerous reasons have been discovered that led to the drop (Milondzo et al., 2021). These reasons have been documented in pieces I will be reviewing. The types of papers that I will review will be editorial pieces on the studies that have been done that have led to the mishaps of the failure of vaccination in South Africa. The first article is from Frontiers in Public Health, written in 2022, and talks about the effects of miscommunication on the HPV vaccine uptake. The second article is from the Western Cape government page and is an editorial piece that talks about the importance and coverage of the HPV vaccine.

3 Assumptions on the Articles Before reading these articles, one of the assumptions I made was that the rate of HPV vaccination is low as opposed to how the government wanted it to be. People are primarily skeptical about vaccination since it is done on young children. These parents believe these children to be innocent and too young to be exposed to a world where cervical cancer due to a sexually transmitted disease is possible. The other assumption is how social media plays a significant role in the acceptance of implementing change in a community. Social media and artificial intelligence substantially influence what is acceptable or not. Although people have an opinion on what is right for them, it may sometimes cause contrivances that cannot be undone. One significant underlying element may be the vaccine's widespread media publicity. It is common knowledge that the news has the power to affect both the general public and decision- makers. For example, the news media can influence legislators' agendas because they may see it as a representation of community concerns. Notably, the news media shapes policymakers' and the community's decisions about healthcare issues. This aspect is specific to what factors they evaluate when forming an attitude about that subject (Gollust et al., 2015). Studies have shown that media impacts views toward the HPV vaccine. They discovered that encouraging women to get the vaccine by presenting it as cancer prevention instead of sexually transmitted infection prevention increased their intent. The public's support for vaccination requirements improved when the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in a beneficial light. Summary of the First Article The editorial piece by Milondzo et al. (2022) on misinformation on the HPV vaccines states that, despite all HPV vaccinations having outstanding safety profiles, uptake has not been as high as it could have been in many regions for several reasons, such as access issues and vaccination reluctance. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines vaccine reluctance as a delay in the adoption or refusal of immunization, irrespective of the availability of vaccination

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4 services (Milondzo et al., 2022). One of the major contributing factors to vaccine reluctance is vaccine confidence. This idea includes several trust-related ideas, such as confidence in the vaccine (whether it is safe), faith in the guidance and assistance of medical professionals that give vaccinations, and reliance on the legislative organizations that require or suggest particular vaccines. Unfortunately, false news disseminated through social media has reduced public trust in vaccines. According to data from the Integrated School Health Program, 86.6% of girls who were age-eligible for the 2014 first-dose campaign had received their HPV vaccinations at public sector schools (Milondzo et al., 2022 p:1). Many sub-districts, however, lacked enough coverage, which may have been related to anti-vaccination comments that circulated on social media during the program and encouraged vaccination hesitancy. It adversely affected the uptake of HPV vaccinations in this region (Milondzo et al., 2022). Considering that social media greatly affects how individuals make decisions. Summary of the Second Article The second article is from the Western Cape government page and is written by the department of Health and Wellness in 2022. It is an editorial piece. It states that The Department of Health is committed to enhancing women's health. The efforts to enhance the health of all women in the Western Cape include wellness campaigns, affordable services, and immunizations, including the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. 99% of cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV (Department of Health and Wellness, 2022 p: 1). To deliver HPV vaccinations, healthcare professionals have been traveling to public and private schools throughout the province. Two doses of the vaccination must be given to offering the strongest defense against HPV. Before 2019, only Grade four students with consent forms signed by their parents and guardians were vaccinated against HPV. A total of thousand and eighty schools were visited by healthcare professionals in March and April 2021, and an initial batch HPV

5 vaccination coverage of 67% was attained (Department of Health and Wellness, 2022 p:1). The school closings and disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic may be to blame for the inadequate dosage coverage. The National Advisory Group on Immunization (NAGI) suggested adjusting the 2020 goal to include Grade five students. This year's first phase of the election runs from February 14 until March 31, 2022. Beginning on September 2, 2022, the campaign's second round will be held. Evaluative Criteria These criteria provide a philosophical framework for evaluating the quality or effectiveness of an intervention. They serve as the starting point for evaluations. These papers target three main groups the children, parents, and the government. The articles are in no way leading people astray. On the contrary, they are trying to encourage people by labeling their beliefs as misconceptions that have been passed on from time to time. The papers also seem to suggest that the government has a lot of work to do. If rumors and misinformation are circulating all around, it means that it is not doing a great job of informing people and clearing out misconceptions. It also shows that they are not using an excellent approach to teaching the citizens about the vaccine. The concerns that people propose arise from their moral prospects. Convince a parent to give their consent on a child's vaccination based on the fact that they may engage in sexual relations that early is difficult. Parents try to shield their children from mishaps, so most miscommunication arises from this background. The second paper suggests that they are making some progress in the vaccination of children. Even though it was cut short by the COVID-19 outbreak, they seem to have caught up with the pace. Peer-Reviewed Sources Journal editors and other eminent academics critically evaluate the article's integrity and intellectual worth as part of the assessment approach for peer-reviewed article publications. Pieces that make it through this route are then republished in peer-reviewed journals. The peer-

6 review process entails letting other experts in the same field (peers) evaluate an author's academic work, study, or concepts in order to preserve scholarly academic excellence (National Library of Medicine, 2022). An article on the hesitancy of the HPV vaccine among caregivers of girls in private schools also spoke of the same issue on vaccine hesitancy. There was also the unavailability of vaccines in schools and the lack of vaccine information (Milondzo et al., 2021). Another paper on the role of news media in HPV vaccine uptake suggested that certain uses of the vaccine influence vaccine positivity (Gollust et al., 2015). People seemed more willing once sources informed them of the vaccine's advantage over preventing cervical cancer. Conclusion In conclusion, the news media influences the general public's discussion of the HPV vaccine. Although research indicates that the news more frequently reminds the public that the subject is contentious and politically fraught; the news does provide the public with some public health knowledge on the vaccine. The benefits of this media role in public health are debatable. On the one hand, it may help to spark discussion about complex issues related to public health. On the other hand, it may gloss over information vitally important to the public to draw attention to political events. However, it is crucial to note that the media is not likely to play the most significant role in influencing public opinion.

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7 References Department of Health and Wellness. (2022). HPV vaccinations. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/hpv-vaccinations#:~:text=The %20second%20round%20of%20the,second%20opportunity%20to%20be%20vaccinated. Gollust, S. E., LoRusso, S. M., Nagler, R. H., & Fowler, E. F. (2015). Understanding the role of the news media in HPV vaccine uptake in the United States: Synthesis and commentary. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics , 12 (6), 1430–1434. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2015.1109169 Milondzo, T., Meyer, J. C., Dochez, C., & Burnett, R. J. (2021). Misinformation drives low human papillomavirus vaccination coverage in South African girls attending private schools. Frontiers in Public Health , 35. Milondzo, T., Meyer, J. C., Dochez, C., & Burnett, R. J. (2022). Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy Highly Evident among Caregivers of Girls Attending South African Private Schools. Vaccines , 10 (4), 503. National Library of Medicine. (2022). Peer-reviewed literature. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/stats_tutorial/section3/mod6_peer.html#:~:text=Peer %2Dreviewed%20journal%20articles%20have,in%20the%20peer%2Dreviewed %20literature. Wiyeh, A. B., Cooper, S., Jaca, A., Mavundza, E., Ndwandwe, D., & Wiysonge, C. S. (2019). Social media and HPV vaccination: Unsolicited public comments on a Facebook post by