Lok Pokhrel presented research in Las Vegas
MSUM Journalism & Mass Communication faculty Lok Pokhrel presented his research titled News-Weeklies’ Framing of Obesity: A Critical Discourse Analysis and Ethical Implications at Health Communication Division of National Communication Association (NCA).
Pokhrel presented his research during the special session of “The Socially Constructed Body: Constructing the Meanings of Obesity through Media and Social Interactions” on Nov 19-22, 2015 in Las Vegas, NV. Pokhrel’s research examined how obesity-related health problems are represented in news media, and the ethical implications in the use of discursive tactics and framing of obesity related health problems by the news media.
The study particularly examined the discourses of visible themes, concepts, and definitions –to know how particular meanings served particular interests –especially in attributing the responsibility of health. Since news media are crucial in shaping public health policies, and they are powerful to influence public’s opinions about policies by shaping how issues are framed and discourses are built, Pokhrel’s study could be instrumental in understanding the underlying dynamics among media, public opinion, and public policy as represented in both the mainstream and non-mainstream American weekly magazines.