Abstract
AIMS: To find out about the media portrayal of addictive substances user. METHODS: Quantitative content analysis of media messages was selected as a method which made it possible to carry out systematic research into a great deal of media coverage.
The original Manual for Coding of Media Messages, the development and testing of which were the main tasks of the project under implementation, was used for this purpose. SAMPLE: A total of 8,691 items presented by the Czech media in relation to the drug issue (including 5,317 printed articles, 1,910 messages provided by news agencies, and 1,021 and 443 items of television and radio coverage respectively) were encoded into the database in 2007.
RESULTS: Media linking addictive substances with crime more often than the treatment and prevention. This difference mainly results from primary drug-related crime.
The media coverage of cannabis mostly features news items whose subject matter involves measures aimed at the reduction of supply, rather than demand.