How is dementia portrayed in New Zealand newsprint media? Causes, effects and moral evaluation.

Aims: To evaluate how New Zealand newsprint media shapes discourse about dementia through its framing of the causes, effects and solutions, and who bears responsibility for the disease.

Methods: Using New Zealand's three largest daily newspapers, we examined i) the coverage of dementia between 2012-2016, ii) the framing of causes and effects of dementia, and iii) the most frequent associations of causes and effects of dementia. We integrated the findings to assess the moral evaluation of dementia in New Zealand newsprint media.

Results: Of the 361 articles extracted all presented effects of dementia, 35% discussed causes and 7% mentioned solutions for dementia. Medical causes dominated over health behavioural and societal causes, and effects were mostly the negative impact on the individual, family and society. Modifiable medical causes were more likely to be associated with adverse outcomes for society whereas non-modifiable medical causes were more likely to be associated with adverse outcomes for the individual and/or their family.

Conclusions: Between 2012-16 New Zealand newsprint media largely portrayed dementia from a 'powerless victim' frame. Further research is required to assess whether, since 2016, there has been a shift towards media framing of dementia as potentially preventable and a social justice issue.