ABSTRACT
Content analysis research has a long history in the field of communication and related social sciences. More than 50 years ago, journalists were counting story topics and elements to track trends in newspaper coverage of various issues (Krippendorff, 2004). Following the advent of television, researchers began to explore entertainment program content, measuring character demographics as well as sensitive behaviors that might influence viewers (Cassata & Skill, 1983; Greenberg, 1980). Today, in an era of increasing media channels, content analysis research seems to be growing in popularity. It is applied across a broad range of new and old media forms, from newspapers and magazines to websites and chat rooms. Moreover, content analysis is frequently employed to examine all types of health-related behavior, from seat belts to substance use, body image, sexual risk taking, and a host of other important concerns (Kline, 2003, 2006).
