Is mental health normalised in Norwegian news media?

Abstract

News media can influence audience opinions. Thus, the media have enormous potential and responsibility when writing about societal issues, such as mental health. Mental health coverage has traditionally been criticised for creating stigma, as the topic is often presented in combination with violence and crime. Since the 1990s, researchers have found that more positive representations challenge negative portrayals, and that such representa- tions change the audience’s attitudes towards the issue. Few studies on the topic have been conducted in Norway; therefore, one cannot confirm or deny whether the exact coverage change is occurring. Using a quantitative framing analysis, this study argues that mental health issues were normalised in the two most-read online news sources, Verdens Gang (VG.no) and Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK.no), in 2018–2021.