Pro-social framing and sentiment in U.S. broadcast networks’ Instagram posts about the COVID-19 vaccine

Abstract

The study uses health risk frames to conduct 1) a content analysis and 2) a computational sentiment analysis to analyze the framing of the COVID-19 vaccine in Instagram posts by major broadcast news networks during its first year of availability in the United States. The analysis focused on the portrayal of the vaccine as a pro-social solution to the pandemic, with emphasis on the consequences of the pandemic, individual solutions from medical professionals grounded in science, and the vaccine as a preventive measure. Findings from qualitative content analysis (N = 45) included a reduced presence of alarmist, loss, conflict, and economic consequences frames, and the absence of uncertainty,indicating an explanatory framework and support for the vaccine. The computational sentiment analysis (N = 178) revealed a slightly positive and variable sentiment, suggesting an overall affirmative picture of the vaccine in the networks’ Instagram coverage.