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EMS Denied 15 Minutes of Fame: Local Newspaper Coverage
Overlooks EMS Presented by Bradley Wilson, Ph.D.
Midwestern State University
Research questionsDoes media coverage set the agenda for public safety policy, including EMS? Why is coverage of pre-hospital healthcare minimal?
The cities
Economic DevelopmentParks, Recreation, TourismPublic SafetyPublic WorksOther
Average budget: $220 million
The newspapersAverage circulation: 41,715 n=162
Economic DevelopmentParks, Recreation, TourismPublic SafetyPublic Works
PoliceFireEMS
Public safety coverage
MeanStandard deviation
Content analysis
Local ownership
Market saturation (log) Web coverage Staff size
Budget change (DV) 11.55 15.49 0.15* 0.16** 0.06 0.07 -0.11
Content analysis 13.37 9.93 0.01 -0.16** 0.15** 0.06
Local ownership 0.33 0.47 0.13* -0.06 0.25***
Market saturation (log) -0.75 0.70 -0.06 0.14*
Web coverage 3.59 0.76 -0.04
Staff size 21.46 12.55
*Correlation is significant at the 0.10 level (2-tailed) **Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
***Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
CORRELATION of Newspaper and City Variables on 2005-2010 Public Safety Budget Excluding Subregion 4.9
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3
Content analysis 0.23 (0.13)
0.22* (0.13)
0.25* (0.14)
Local ownership 4.50 (3.23)
6.36** (3.04)
Market saturation (log) 1.18 (2.06)
1.84 (2.04)
Web coverage 2.05 (1.95)
1.13 (1.85)
Staff size -0.27** (0.13)
-0.22* (0.12)
Constant 9.10***(2.20)
7.07(7.91)
8.10(7.38)
R2 0.02* 0.07* 0.08*
Adjusted R2 0.01 0.03 0.04
N 139 143 122
Standard error of estimate 17.38 17.10 15.16
NOTE: Standard errors are in parenthesis
Model 1: No control variables | Model 2: Control variables with all regionsModel 3: Control variables excluding region 4.9
* Significant at the 0.10 level (2-tailed) ** Significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
*** Significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)
REGRESSION of Change in Newspaper Coverage and Change in Public Safety Budget 2005-2010 (Unstandardized Coefficients)
Media agenda
Public agenda
Political agenda
Policy response
Media agenda
Public agenda
Political agenda
Policy response
• Public safety agenda-setting effects are minimal at the local level.
• Agenda-setting effects increase over time. • Locally owned media have more impact on
public safety policy changes • Newspaper staff size is related to the impact of
the stories they publish on public safety
Findings
ConclusionSince media coverage, at least in part, drives public opinion and policy change, EMS agencies, whether affiliates of local government, non-profits contracted by local government or private agencies contracted by local government, better be concerned about lack of coverage.
But what factors contribute to this lack of coverage?
• EMS was not on the radar screen of reporters.
Findings
Everyone wants to know the most horrific of crimes. We also have people who pay attention residential concerns,
vandalism, break-ins, things like that. EMS is a little harder. I’m not really sure how EMS works. Typically we don’t do a
lot with that. Reporter
EMS is not part of our reporting. Reporter
• Public information officers were more likely to serve police and fire than EMS.
Findings
They want to control every bit of the situation and scene rather than it being a friendly working environment
understanding that we have a job to do as well. Reporter
A lot of folks, not just in EMS, but generally speaking, are scared to death of the media.
EMS official
• Legislation such as HIPAA precludes coverage of EMS while other legislation makes information particularly related to police work more accessible.
Findings
They’re not going to talk to you. The obvious cause is HIPAA.
Reporter
EMS just invokes HIPAA, and that’s it. They can’t say anything.
Reporter
• How EMS systems are managed often means they are not publicly accountable.
Findings
It’s very, very different in every county and in every city.
EMS official
The majority of the public has no idea how EMS works. And they don’t really care.
EMS official
• EMS systems were not on the radar screen of the citizens in the towns they serve
Findings
The average person probably sees or notices very little difference between the fire department and EMS. I don’t
think they really notice. Most medics and EMTs are so-called ambulance drivers to the average person
EMS official
People understand fire trucks. And they see scenes of firemen holding babies and the American flag. EMS has a
disadvantage in the sense that it’s not marketed. EMS official
Conclusions• Local newspapers do influence policy
outcomes over time. • EMS as a profession has a PR problem
resulting from structure, culture and laws.
By Bradley Wilson, PhD Midwestern State University
Twitter: @bradleywilson09
©2015
A presentation for the Western Political Science Association Annual Conference
Las Vegas April 3, 2015 | 10 a.m.
Panel 11. 06 - News Coverage, Accountability, and Civil Discourse “EMS Denied 15 Minutes Of Fame: Local Newspaper Public Safety Coverage”
