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

bradley.wilson@mwsu.edu

bradleywilson08@gmail.com

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”